Top aerobatic pilots performers at the River City Air Expo

Maj. John Klatt, an F-16 pilot who has become one of the top aerobatic pilots in the country, will be one of the lead performers at the River City Air Expo at the Greater Peoria Regional Airport in Peoria.

As a professional aerobatic performer, Klatt flies the Staudacher S-300D in unlimited-class aerobatic competitions. The acrobatic airplane flight is take alot of attention from the air expo audience. Specially if performed by a professional pilot.

As reported in The Pantagraph, The expo is a fundraiser that supports various institutions, including the Bloomington-based Prairie Aviation Museum and its Challenger Learning Center.

The show will feature a variety of aerobatic acts, the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team and monster truck rides. Read More..

787 Dreamliner, one of Boeing proud

Boeing Co. right now has reveal the production of 787 Dreamliner. Recently, Boeing has got 600 orders of airplane from costumers in the world. Their order is to get a qualified standard of airplane in a lower cost.

As reported in article of Boeing gives 1st peek at the Dreamliner, Boeing Chief Executive Jim McNerney said the 787 will bring about a "dramatic improvement in air travel: to make it more affordable, comfortable and convenient for passengers, more efficient and profitable for airlines, and more environmentally progressive for our Earth."

Final assembly of the first 787 started in late May, after a gigantic, specially outfitted superfreighter started flying wings, fuselage sections and other major parts to Boeing's widebody plant, where they essentially get snapped together, piece by huge piece.

The 787 is one of Boeing's that get attention from airline public industry.

This is not just from the 787 quality, but also from the promotion of 787. Boeing is doing efficiently by hired former NBC "Nightly News" anchor Tom Brokaw for the 787 premiere ceremonial event. The even itself is broadcasted live on the Internet, and satellite television in nine languages to more than 45 countries. So it will be easy for Boeing to get 787 customers and suppliers to watch the event.

Not just that, the company also invite employees and retirees to watch together via satellite at the NFL stadium.

These two pictures below are the photos of the Boeing 787 Dreamline premiere ceremonial event from the Centre Daily Times news release.



Read More..

The new 787 Dreamliner from Boeing

Boeing's first new model in 13 years takes advantage of the huge advances made in aviation technology in the past decade, and is capable of flying long-haul routes using up to 20 percent less fuel.

Servihoo reported that the Dreamliner boasts several revolutionary design features, most notably the use of high-tech plastic composites instead of aluminum.

Up to 50 percent of the primary structure of the plane -- including the fuselage and wing -- will be made of composites such as carbon-fiber, which reduce the weight of the planes.

And now, Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer has get up to 35 of 787 Dreamliner order.

The Dreamliner comes in three models for both medium and long-haul flights with a seating capacity of between 210 to 330 places.

Able to fly up to 15,750 kilometers (9,700 miles) without refueling, it could easily manage a flight between New York and Manila, or Moscow and Sao Paulo, routes so far only open to bigger planes such as Boeing's 777 or 747.

Boeing hopes the Dreamliner will be used to open up profitable flights between cities which so far have no direct links such as Seattle-Shanghai, Boston-Athens or Madrid-Manila.

While International Herald Tribune reported that Boeing now has orders for 677 of the new 787s from 47 customers. The new plane's first flight is scheduled for later this year, with the first delivery to a customer, All Nippon Airways of Japan, in May 2008.

Air Berlin's order is the largest single order placed by any European carrier, Boeing said. The airline also secured 10 options and 15 purchase rights for additional 787s, Boeing said.

The low-fare airline is looking to add long-haul destinations to its route network with the addition of the mid-sized, long-range 787s, which can easily reach Asia and the United States from Germany.

"The flight test will be the moment of truth," said Craig Fraser, an analyst at Fitch Ratings in New York. "That's what people are really focusing on. Does it go from a positive story to a very positive story or slide into trouble?"

The Dreamliner and the A380 reflect the different strategies of Boeing and Airbus as they seek to achieve the same objective -- cheaper air travel.

In response to Boeing's Dreamliner, Airbus has announced plans for a further new model, the A350. But the new plane is not expected to be ready for commercial use until 2013.
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Mitsubishi believes of increasing regional jets order

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the Japan industry, the company that led the state-backed consortium behind the YS-11, believe that the world’s carriers will order 5,000 regional jets over the next 20 years, as developing countries expand their air networks and airlines shift to smaller, less fuel-thirsty planes.

About the YS-11 mentioned above, YS-11 is known almost exclusively among aviation geeks and nostalgic Japanese retirees. Its eight-year mass-production run ended in 1973 amid huge losses, and the last YS-11 retired from domestic service last year.

Masakazu Niwa, general manager of Mitsubishi’s aerospace division, said: “This isn’t just about a single project. Our goal is to take Japan’s aerospace in­dustry to the next level of development,”

Advanced technology is one of the Mitsubishi goal. We can see trough one of this example from the improvement of fuel efficiency, that I think this is very good for now since the increasing of gas price.

But not just the Mitsubishi, who try to get advanced, there are also Kawasaki Heavy Industries which flight-testing its new C-X military cargo aircraft, a Y35bn project funded by Japan’s defence ministry, and may market it for civilian use, and Honda which plans to deliver its first five- to six- passenger mini-jet in 2010.

And also other small-jet industry’s like Bombardier of Canada, and Brazil’s Embraer. Bombardier, is an established player with fewer start-up costs, puts the break-even point for its next-generation C-series jets at 500 aircraft. Embraer has get order of 10 regional jets from JAL at the Paris air show.

Read the news release from this article's source from:
Japan takes aim at regional jet market by Jonathan Soble Read More..

Outsourced Repair for Planes: Safe?

The American system of aviation is safest of the world, partly due to the quality of the systems of the repair and the maintenance that help to keep those Jumbos in stop. But a number of increase of critical worries that this long file of security is in danger.

That is because systems of the repair and the maintenance and the Federal Aviation Administration, that is responsible to examine them, are both in means of historical transformations.

A record amount of work is being outsourced to foreign and non-FAA-certified repair stations. At the same time, the FAA has a decreasing number of inspectors, forcing it to rely more on computer models instead of looking over mechanics' shoulders to check their work.

Depending on where one sits, the result is either an increasingly dangerous set of conditions or a triumph of the efficiencies of global economics and emerging technology.

The controversy, which includes concerns about possible terrorist infiltration of foreign repair stations, has prompted two federal investigations and hearings on Capitol Hill.

"If the American people understood some of the safety and security issues surrounding foreign repair stations, they would march on Washington with pitchforks," Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) of Missouri said during a hearing last week.

The nation's airlines have long outsourced some minor maintenance. The trend picked up during the 1990 and accelerated with the airlines' economic crisis that started in the spring of 2001 and continued after 9/11.

"Safety is the constant, overriding imperative in our members' activities," said Basil Barimo of Air Transport Association, which represents major US carriers, during last week's hearing. "The airlines understand their responsibilities, and they act accordingly. The US airline industry's stellar - and improving - safety record demonstrates that indisputable commitment."

Or as Les Dorr, a spokesman for the FAA says: "Just because work is being done at a foreign repair facility does not mean it's unsafe at all - in fact, sometimes 180 degrees the opposite."

FAA management and the airlines note there are layers of redundancy to ensure safety. For example, in addition to the FAA-certified mechanics, the airlines' own mechanics check work when planes are returned. But during the hearing, Mr. Roach of the mechanics union said that what his members find sometimes is frightening.

"Our members have also seen aircraft return from repair facilities with the flaps rigged improperly, engine fan blades installed backwards, improperly connected ducting ... and over-wing-exit emergency slides deactivated," he says. "These aircraft had all been deemed airworthy by the repair stations."

The union that represents the FAA inspectors has also raised alarms. They contend the FAA has not given them the resources to properly oversee all the work that's now been shifted overseas or to private facilities in the US. In addition, within the next five years, 50 percent of the current inspectors will be eligible for retirement.

To improve safety, the FAA has started relying more on data analysis to identify potential problems that can be inspected selectively. Some stations, however, go for months or years without proper oversight.

That, say inspectors, has put them in a difficult position. "Assuming good intent on everyone's part, things still happen.... It's just a matter of time," says Tom Brantley, president of the Professional Airways Systems Specialist, which represents FAA inspectors.

Read the news release of this article's at Aircraft Maintenance Technology by Alexandra Marks Staff writer of The Christian Science MonitorChristian Science Monitor Read More..

Summertime, and the flying ain't expected to be easy

Whereas one hoped that the aerial transport had its part of annoyances this summer, it has given return in a nightmare for many aviators. In recent weeks, they have struck to the travellers with length delay caused by everything of shortages of work and storms of seasonal thunders snafus of the computer.

"I fly a lot, and I've never seen it this bad this systematically. It's like the Italian train system," said Nick Abbott, a vice president at networking concern Intelliden Corp. who was stuck in Philadelphia for two days after his flight on US Airways was delayed and then canceled last week.

Northwest Airlines Corp., battling with labor unrest, canceled 352 flights on Saturday and Sunday - more than the carrier canceled in the entire month of June last year, according to FlightStats. With airplanes booked full on a busy summer weekend, grounding 13 percent of flights left many travelers stranded, and problems continued Monday. By noon EDT, 100 flights had already been canceled.

Just a week ago, Northwest's pilots union passed a "no confidence" resolution on management, citing shortages this summer of pilots as well as millions of dollars in executive compensation. Northwest said in a statement that the airline was experiencing crew shortages after storms earlier in the month increased duty time, and was relaxing ticket restrictions to accommodate passengers as quickly as possible.

Crowded flights, stormy skies

Summer is always tough for airlines, with large crowds of travelers to handle while contending with summer storms - airplanes usually don't fly through thunderstorms, so routes and airports can be shutdown by bad weather. But this year, with airlines packing planes fuller than ever, even small storms have cascaded into major disruptions for customers. With load factors approaching 90 percent or more on many days, finding available seats when customers miss connections or get stranded by cancellations has been difficult, and some travelers have been stranded for several days.

Carriers say they need to book planes full - and overbook many flights - in order to make profits when oil prices are so high and ticket prices relatively low. But this summer has tested whether airlines have pushed capacity too far.

Runways are often over-booked, too. Some airports, particularly in the crowded Northeast, have seen sharp increases in the number of flights, especially as airlines have substituted more-frequent flights with smaller jets in place of fewer large-jet trips. More congestion makes for longer delays when storms hit, so planes sit for hours waiting to take off.

That is what started a Murphy's Law cascade of problems for Mr. Abbott, the California tech-company vice president, and his young son one week ago. They were returning to San Francisco from Stockholm on US Airways when their 4 p.m. connecting flight leaving Philadelphia on June 19 had to wait hours to take off because of storms to the west. (Their vacation had already been tainted because they arrived in Sweden a day late because of a weather-related missed connection.)

The full of this article's can be read on the source at: The Arizona Republic by The Wall Street Journal Read More..

Back to business as Boeing, Airbus pack up at Paris

If Boeing Co. it has been oscillated by the piled up one of this week of new flat distributions announced by rival Airbus, is not demonstrating it certainly. Airbus revealed the distributions that implied on 700 planes including more than 300 firm orders, sharpening in front of the company of the E.E.U.U that entered the well of the air demonstration of Paris of this week next.

“Our policy of many years is not to store upon the warnings of the order for an air demonstration. We used the demonstration to confirm that the 787 that is oriented hour Dreamliner for first they give in May of 2008 and we outside watched ahead with the enthusiasm every greater time to the 787 roll-towards the 8 of July,” said the spokesman of Boeing.

The U.S. company took its firm order book for the year to 510 planes, for an increase of 81, led by a deal for 63 from influential lessor International Lease Finance Corp..

Airbus had a net of 188 planes beforehand and leaves the show at about 519, by Reuters estimates.

“I think what it really says is ‘We're back,'” said Airbus Chief Commercial Officer John Leahy.

Airbus signed 425 firm orders this week worth $61-billion (U.S.) at list prices, Leahy said.

Highlights included Singapore Airlines firming a tentative deal from last year for 20 of the newest Airbus, the A350 XWB due in 2013, and a deal for 80 of the planes from Qatar Airways.

Both, however, firmed earlier commitments.

The secret to success in the plane business is no different from any other, it hinges on finding new business and selling profitably.

Airbus traditionally uses the air demonstration biennial of Paris to announce piling up of the new business, but the analysts expressed a certain skepticism this week, observing many distributions were tentative, they were conversions of previous pacts, or not known carriers implied.

Airbus's Mr. Leahy said that the total success of the week for the flat manufacturer in fact placed the flat manufacturer under still more pressure to obtain ignition with the business of lowering its base of costs under its program of the Power8 cost-savings. “We needed Power8 still more.

We are not matching Boeing in cost terms,” Mr. Leahy this. “The error greater than we could have now is matching Boeing in terms of yields and it is not matching them in cost terms. Power8 is more important that always.” The German unions that mentioned the strong distributions of Airbus in the air demonstration of Paris this week invited to company to fit in cuts of use and sales behind anticipated of the factory.

Read the news release on this article's source at: The Globe and Mail by Jason Neely Read More..

Airbus orders soar

The manufacturer of Airbus AIRPLANE raised his alcohol that indicated by means of a flag this week after orders of registry of the revelation in the air demonstration of Paris.

The company shrunk of delays and the leftovers of cost to its superJumbo A380 to announce new orders and commissions with a value of the catalogue of $98bn (£49.1bn) in Him Bourget. The blow of the operation its previous more better possible one in 2005 and pushed its old Boeing rival in the curtain.

Airbus’s raft of new contracts include 425 firm orders and additional commitments for 303 more.

Boeing won an order for 63 jets from airline leasing company International Lease Finance, with a total list price of $8.8bn (£4.4bn), but announced orders for just 65 other aircraft during the show.

The biggest Airbus success was an order for 80 A350s and three A380s for Middle East carrier Qatar Airways, worth up to $18bn (£9bn).

The win was also a boost for Rolls-Royce, which picked up the $5.6bn (£2.8bn) order for engines and servicing on the carrier’s new fleet of A350 aircraft, with the firm beginning deliveries in 2013.

Howard Wheeldon, greater strategist in the BGC partners, said that Airbus was probable to offer significant discounts to the important clients for its airplane.

Read the news realease on the article's source at: icWales Read More..

AirTran adds fee to reserve best seats

ATLANTA — Want to make sure you get a decent seat on your next flight? How about a coveted exit row seat? If so, it may cost you an extra $10 to $30 round trip if you're flying on AirTran Airways.

The discount carrier recently began charging extra fees if fliers using its lowest fares want to pick where they sit in advance.

Previously, passengers using the carrier's sale or discount coach fares couldn't pick seats until they checked in for their flights — either in person or online. They still have the option of doing that with no extra charge.

But AirTran fliers using those fares can now pay an extra $5 each way to reserve a seat at the time of booking. They can pay $15 extra each way for an exit row seat.

AirTran's seat fees don't apply to higher fare categories; those fliers, along with members of the frequent flier corporate travel programs, can continue to reserve seats at the time of booking with no fee attached, AirTran spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said.

Such pricing moves aren't unheard of. Northwest began charging $15 extra for aisle, window and exit row seats last year. On its lowest fares, Air Canada charges extra for seat assignments, checked bags and onboard meals.

But AirTran's move could put it at a pricing disadvantage compared with rivals that allow free advance seat assignment on all fares.

"This is pure profit to the airline," said Henry Harteveldt, travel analyst for Forrester Research in Cambridge, Mass. He doubts it will become a trend because airlines don't want to anger customers at a time when fares have risen significantly in recent years.

Graham-Weaver said the airline decided to offer a seat assignment option at the request of travelers. "The feedback ... has actually been pretty positive," she said.

When booking certain tickets online, AirTran customers are asked whether they want to pick a seat. The Web site then shows color-coded seats that can be reserved for $5 or $15 extra.

"We're not trying to pull anything. We just want everybody to see the option," said Graham-Weaver.

By Russell Grantham, Cox News Service
Source: Dayton Daily News Read More..

Etihad Airways orders 12 wide-body Airbus aircraft

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates has signed a firm contract for the purchase of 12 Airbus wide-body aircraft including the newest model in its freighter product range, the A330-200F. The order is for five A330-200s, four A340-600s and three A330-200Fs.

The agreement was signed by James Hogan, Etihad Chief Executive and Louis Gallois, Airbus President and CEO, at a ceremony at the 47th International Paris Air show at Le Bourget.

“This aircraft order will enable Etihad to continue its impressive route network growth which now stands at 43 global destinations. Each Airbus aircraft within the new order has been specifically chosen to fit our ambitious development plans” said James Hogan, Etihad Chief Executive, who attended the ceremony.

At present, Etihad have a fleet of 21 Airbus aircraft with 11 to be delivered. Taking the latest order into account, the Etihad Airbus fleet will grow to 44 aircraft.

“Etihad is one of the world’s dynamic airlines and we’re delighted we are continuing to build on our partnership. I am particularly proud about Etihad’s faith in our A340 aircraft which really do offer outstanding performance and unparalleled levels passenger comfort. I am also delighted Etihad have chosen the A330 which is simply the leading aircraft type in this sector,” said Louis Gallois, Airbus President and CEO.

The A330 wide-body aircraft is the unquestioned leader in its class with a commanding market share and a continually expanding operator base. It has excellent flexibility for a wide range of route structures, providing the operator with proven low operating cost per seat as well as the widest and most comfortable cabin in its category.

The A330-200F freighter can carry 64 metric tonnes over 4,000 nautical miles/7,400 kilometres or 69 metric tonnes up to 3,200 nautical miles/5,930 kilometres. With unrivalled volume and range capacity in its class and flexibility to carry a wide variety of pallet and container sizes for maximum interlining capability, the A330-200F offers new and established cargo operators to offer new routes with the most modern and economically efficient freighter aircraft.

The A340-600 is the largest member of Airbus’ A330/A340 Family, and is the most modern aircraft in the 250-375-seater segment flying today. With four engines, the A340 offers unrivalled operational economics and flexibility on ultra-long-haul non-stop routes over remote oceans and terrains such as mountain ranges and the Polar Regions. Airbus is an EADS company.

© 2007 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
Source: Mena Report Read More..

Arab Nations Snub Boeing, Spend $32 Billion on Airbus in Paris

Airbus SAS, the world's largest maker of commercial aircraft, won orders and commitments valued at $32 billion from Arab customers at the 2007 Paris Air Show, as Middle Eastern carriers snubbed rival U.S. supplier Boeing Co.

Airbus got firm contracts from airlines or leasing companies based in Arab countries for aircraft valued at $24.7 billion and commitments for planes with a value of $7.3 billion at the show last week. Boeing's only Middle Eastern contract during the show was an agreement to advise Abu Dhabi and Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, on developing their aerospace industries.

Persian Gulf airlines including Etihad, Qatar Airways and Emirates have been among the top customers for Toulouse, France- based Airbus and Boeing as the region's governments set up hubs for tourism and transit flights between Europe, Asia and Africa.

A redesign of the planned 250- to 350-seat A350 model helped Airbus beat Chicago-based Boeing in orders at the Paris show.

``With the A350XWB, they finally have a legitimate competitor in the size range and it's generating the appropriate level of interest,'' Richard Pinkham, an analyst at the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation in Singapore, said by phone. ``They are coming back, just as everybody, including Boeing, knew they eventually would.''

Arab airlines are expected to increase their combined fleet by almost two-thirds to 900 aircraft by 2015 from 550 planes in 2006, according to the Arab Air Carriers Organization.

``It is unprecedented that in such a short period of time so much large-plane acquisition has been undertaken in a single small region,'' Pinkham said. ``It's a continuation of the trend whereby the Gulf carriers continue to add incredible amounts of capacity into their sparsely populated region.''

Kuwait Aviation

Airbus also won orders from Kuwait's Aviation Lease & Finance Co. for 12 A350s and seven A320s, valued at a total of $2.9 billion at list prices. That brought the total value of orders from the region since the Paris show started on June 18 to $32 billion.

Airbus won a commitment from Emirates, the largest Arab airline, to buy eight A380s valued at $2.55 billion. A final purchase would take Emirates' total order for the double-decker plane to 55.

The airline plans to buy 100 mid-sized, long-range planes and will choose between the Airbus A350 and Boeing's competing 787 as early as the Dubai Air Show in November, Emirates Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum said in an interview at the Paris air show.

The average list price for the 250- to 350-seat A350 is $229 million, while the 787 costs $158.3 million. Catalog prices don't take account of discounts airlines get for larger orders.

Transport Hub

Dubai's government has earmarked more than $82 billion for investment in the emirate's aviation and aerospace industry as part of plan to create a transport hub for the region.

Airbus also won a $17 billion order from Qatar Airways for 80 A350 XWB airliners in the first major commitment to the new 250- to 350-seat model. The Doha, Qatar-based airline's order includes 20 A350-800 airliners, 40 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000s, and deliveries will begin in 2013, the year the model starts commercial service.

The A350 will enter fleets five years after Boeing's competing 787 begins commercial service. Qatar Airways also ordered three A380 superjumbos increasing the total number of ordered double-deckers to seven.

Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the U.A.E., ordered 12 Airbus SAS planes, including four A340-600s, five A330 passenger models and three A330-200 freighters, valued at $2.2 billion at list prices.

Airport Capacity

Etihad will receive the aircraft between 2008 and 2011, increasing its fleet to 42 planes, and will meanwhile defer delivery of four 555-seat Airbus A380s by four years to 2013, Chief Executive Officer James Hogan said.

Abu Dhabi, the owner of about 90 percent of the U.A.E.'s oil wealth, is spending $6.8 billion to more than double its airport's capacity to 20 million passengers a year and set up Etihad in 2003 to compete with Emirates.

Jazeera Airways, a Kuwait-based low-cost carrier, ordered 30 Airbus A320s valued at $2.1 billion as part of a plan to double the fleet and offer flights beyond the Middle East. The company operates five 150-seat Airbus A320s and has six more on order.

National Air Services, a Saudi Arabian private aircraft operator with a fleet of more than 47 aircraft, pledged to buy 20 A320-series airliners valued at about $1.5 billion at list prices.

Dassault Aviation

The planes will be used by the company's low-cost carrier NAS Air, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. National Air also ordered 20 Falcon 2000 LX corporate jets for more than $500 million from Dassault Aviation SA at the show.

Libyan Airlines, the national carrier of the North African country, pledged to buy 15 planes from Airbus SAS that include seven A320s, four A330-200s, and four A350s with a value of $2 billion.

Airbus won a firm order from Libyan carrier Afriqiyah Airways for five A320 planes and a commitment for six A350 XWBs. The firm order is valued at $360 million and the pledge at $1.2 billion.

Nouvelair, a Tunisian carrier, signed a firm order for two A320s. The engine choice hasn't yet been made. The list price for the order is $146 million.

To contact the reporter on this story: Massoud A. Derhally in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at mderhally@bloomberg.net.

By Massoud A. Derhally
Source: Bloomberg.com Read More..

Emirates, Qatar airways to Order A380S at Paris Air show

Dubai-based airline Emirates and Qatar Airways are to announce new orders for the Airbus A380 superjumbo at the Paris Air Show this week, with Emirates to take up to 10 additional superjumbos, a company source told AFP on Monday.

The source partially confirmed a report in French newspaper Les Echos on Monday which said that Emirates would reveal an order for eight A380s and 60-100 mid-sized A350s worth about 15 billion dollars (11 billion euros) at catalogue prices.

Emirates is already the biggest single client for the A380 having already placed an order for 43 of the giant airliners, which are set to enter service later this year.

Another French newspaper, La Tribune, reported Monday that Qatar Airways would also announce an order for more A380s. The group has already ordered two.

The airline is also to confirm an order for 80 A350s, initially announced in May, La Tribune said.

Source: The Tocqueville Connection Read More..

Lion Air order 40 Boeing aircraft

Indonesian airline Lion Air has placed a firm order for 40 additional single-aisled Boeing 737-900 ER planes worth more than 3.0 billion dollars at catalogue prices, Boeing said at the Paris Air Show on Monday.

Lion Air, a low-cost operator, has now ordered 100 of the small Boeing planes, which are normally used on shorthaul flights.

Separately, Kuwaiti airline Jazeera Airways announced it had placed a firm order for 30 single-aisled planes with Boeing's rival, Airbus.

Jazeera Airways has opted for the Airbus 320 range of aircraft, the group announced at a joint press conference with Airbus.

The A320 range of planes is priced from 56-86 million dollars (42-64 million euros) each.

Source: The Tocqueville Connection Read More..

Airbus lifted by Air Show orders

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus boosted its flagging spirits this week after unveiling record orders at the Paris air show.

The company shrugged off the delays and cost overruns to its A380 superjumbo to announce new orders and commitments with a catalogue value of US$98bn (€73bn) at Le Bourget.

The performance beat its previous best in 2005 and pushed its old rival Boeing into the shade.

Airbus’ raft of new contracts include 425 firm orders and additional commitments for 303 more.

Boeing won an order for 63 jets from airline leasing company International Lease Finance with a total list price of US$8.8bn (€6.5bn), but announced orders for just 65 other aircraft during the show.

The biggest Airbus success was an order for 80 A350s and three A380s for Middle East carrier Qatar Airways worth up to US$18bn (€13.5bn).

The win was also a boost for Rolls-Royce, which picked up the US$5.6bn (€4.1bn) order for engines and servicing on the carrier’s new fleet of A350 aircraft, with the firm beginning deliveries in 2013.

The deal is the biggest ever for its civil aerospace division.

Bristol and Derby based Rolls Royce unveiled 19 orders with a list price of US$15.1bn (€11.3bn) at the show this week.

Aviation experts said that Airbus “stole the high ground” in terms of aircraft numbers but added that the real value of the orders and commitments may be below the figures actually announced by the company.

Howard Wheeldon, senior strategist at BGC Partners, said Airbus was likely to be offering significant discounts to major customers for its aircraft.

In February, Airbus’s parent company, EADS, announced plans to axe 1,600 UK jobs over the next four years and 10,000 jobs in total across its 16 European sites under its Power8 cost-saving plan to cope with the delays and rising costs on the development of the A380.

Mr Wheeldon said: “The A380 may have had its hugely costly problems moving from development to production but it is nevertheless a very fine plane.

“What matters though is whether Airbus is making them efficiently.”

Source: Sunday Business Post Read More..

Sageview, KKR Buy 70% Stake in ACE Maintenance Unit

(Update3 from Bloomberg) - Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Sageview Capital LLC agreed to buy a 70 percent stake in ACE Aviation Holdings Inc.'s aircraft maintenance unit, as the owner of Canada's biggest airline pares assets.

The purchase by the New York-based buyout funds puts an enterprise value of C$975 million ($910 million) for Air Canada Technical Services, ACE spokeswoman Ann-Marie Gagne said today in an interview. Montreal-based ACE, the holding company for Air Canada, will retain a 30 percent stake.

ACE Chief Executive Officer Robert Milton is selling ACE's holdings in its aviation units and loyalty-rewards program Aeroplan LP, and has said he will eliminate ACE if it benefits shareholders. The carrier may use proceeds from the sale to pay a special dividend, said Jacques Kavafian, an analyst at Research Capital Corp.

``ACE got the price that was in line with expectations,'' said Kavafian in Toronto. ``You will probably see ACE make a cash distribution or special dividend to shareholders. That's been the game plan.''

The Air Canada Technical Services unit, which also services planes for JetBlue Airways Corp. and US Airways Group Inc., accounted for 8 percent of ACE's C$10.6 billion revenue in 2006.

KKR made the investment through KKR Private Equity Investors LP. Sageview is a buyout firm founded by former KKR partners Edward Gilhuly and Scott Stuart. The price for the 70 percent stake wasn't disclosed.

Job Cuts

The sale is not likely to affect the maintenance unit's employment of 3,200 people in Canada and 1,100 in El Salvador, Gagne said. In El Salvador, Air Canada Technical Service in February bought 80 percent of Grupo Taca Holdings Ltd.'s maintenance unit, Aeromantenimiento SA.

Air Canada Technical Services on June 18 cut nearly 670 jobs in Richmond, British Columbia, after Delta Air Lines Inc. withdrew from a heavy-maintenance contract for Boeing 767s.

``The high value of the Canadian dollar makes ACTS somewhat unattractive, so they are expanding in other locations,'' said Kavafian, who has a ``buy'' rating on ACE.

Grupo Taca has a right to buy up to 5 percent of Air Canada Technical Services or receive $51 million in cash, ACE said.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. advised ACE on the sale, while Lehman Brothers worked with the buyers.

Shares of ACE rose 30 cents to C$26.77 in trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The stock has increased 21 percent this year.

By Hugo Miller and David Mildenberg
To contact the reporter on this story: Hugo Miller in Toronto at hugomiller@bloomberg.net
Source: Bloomberg.com Read More..

Victims shared passion for flight

HIDDENITE -- Benny Sharpe and Dr. Walter Long will be remembered as avid fliers, eager to spend their time piloting the sky.

Each owned a small plane. Both flew frequently. While Sharpe was a commercial pilot for 23 years, flying is something Long embraced only after retiring from his medical practice in 2001.

“Flying became his passion in retirement. It was a dream, all his life. He lived with one of the local airfields right in front of his house,” said Dr. Russell Faulkenberry, one of the doctors at Family Care Center, the private practice Long founded.

Sharpe, 70, began pilot training when he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1954. He began working for Piedmont Airlines in the 1970s. Sharpe continued working as a pilot for Piedmont Airlines when it was taken over by U.S. Airways, and he retired as a captain in the 1990s, said his brother, Lee.

“He’s flown continuously the last 45 or 50 years and had his own plane at the Statesville airport. Benny logged more than 25,000 hours as a pilot. When he was flying for an airline, he logged more than 1,000 hours a year,” Lee said. “He enjoyed golf and aviation. That’s what he devoted all of his time to.”

Benny and Lee also spent a number of evenings eating meals together. In recent years, they looked after their mother until her death.

“He was my big brother. We’ve remained close. Family means looking after each other,” Lee said. “We flew together on some occasions, and we got our kids together and talked together.”

Recently, Benny helped Long get his plane in flying condition, Lee said.

“Benny helped him put a new engine in his plane and paint it and helped him overhaul it. He also instructed him on some things,” he said. “Benny and Walter flew together for the last four or five years. Benny helped people hone their flying skills and stay current with their pilot’s license.”

Long, 75, still checked in at the Family Care Center a couple of times a week.

“He was retired, but he still came in every other day to check on us, and get his paper. He still came to our Christmas parties, and he knew just about everyone’s patient by name. He could hardly go anywhere without someone knowing him,” said Vonda Marlow, an administrator at Family Care Center.

One of the doctors in the practice said he learned of Long’s death when someone came to the practice and told the staff members.

“He did so much for the community. He would bend over backward for the patients,” said Dr. Mark DeVries, one of the doctors at Family Care Center. “He’s a very vibrant person, very sharp. I believe that this is part of God’s plan, but it’s still very hard.”

Faulkenberry interned with Long when he was in medical school. He said it was Long’s love of the medical field and his eagerness to share his teachings that made Faulkenberry return to Taylorsville.

“He loved to teach us. Patients always respected him, and he was very well liked. We depended on him for leadership, guidance and direction,” Faulkenberry said. “His patients truly were his friends. He’d go out of his way to help any of them at any time. He was the kind of physician you don’t see anymore. If you needed help, you could always call on him - he never refused. He’s going to be greatly missed by everybody in this community, especially his patients. I couldn’t have practiced with a better role model or mentor.”

According to Marlow, Long and Sharpe were planning to fly to a meeting in Statesville on Thursday. They took off, but never made it to the meeting, she said.

BY SARAH NEWELL, Record Staff Writer. Contact: snewell@hickoryrecord.com | 322-4510 x5408 or 304-6915
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Airbus orders soar

The manufacturer of Airbus AIRPLANE raised his alcohol that indicated by means of a flag this week after orders of registry of the revelation in the air demonstration of Paris.

The company shrunk of delays and the leftovers of cost to its superJumbo A380 to announce new orders and commissions with a value of the catalogue of $98bn (£49.1bn) in Him Bourget. The blow of the operation its previous more better possible one in 2005 and pushed its old Boeing rival in the curtain.

Airbus’s raft of new contracts include 425 firm orders and additional commitments for 303 more.

Boeing won an order for 63 jets from airline leasing company International Lease Finance, with a total list price of $8.8bn (£4.4bn), but announced orders for just 65 other aircraft during the show.


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The biggest Airbus success was an order for 80 A350s and three A380s for Middle East carrier Qatar Airways, worth up to $18bn (£9bn).

The win was also a boost for Rolls-Royce, which picked up the $5.6bn (£2.8bn) order for engines and servicing on the carrier’s new fleet of A350 aircraft, with the firm beginning deliveries in 2013.

The deal is the biggest ever for its civil aerospace division.

Bristol and Derby-based Rolls- Royce unveiled 19 orders with a list price of $15.1bn (£7.6bn) at the show this week.

Aviation experts said that Airbus “stole the high ground” in terms of aircraft numbers, but added that the real value of the orders and commitments may be below the figures actually announced by the company.

Howard Wheeldon, senior strategist at BGC Partners, said Airbus was likely to be offering significant discounts to major customers for its aircraft.

In February, the first house of Airbus, EADS, announced plans to diminish 1,600 BRITISH works during the four next years and 10,000 works altogether through their 16 European sites under their plan cost-saving Power8 to face delay and the increasing prices in the development of the A380.

Mr. said Wheeldon, “the A380 can have had his expensive problems enormous moving from the development to the production, but it is nevertheless a very fine plane.

“What matters though is whether Airbus is making them efficiently.”

Source: icWales Read More..

Airbus Wins Singapore Air Order, Builds Momentum

Update4 from Bloomberg -- Airbus SAS, the world's largest maker of commercial aircraft, won a $3.7 billion contract from Singapore Airlines Ltd. for 20 new A350s on the last day of the Paris Air Show, capping a week of gains over Boeing Co.

The Toulouse, France-based planemaker swept a record 425 firm orders valued at $61.7 billion at the show, twice as much business as it gained at last year's major industry event. Boeing won only one 50-plane order for the midsize 787 Dreamliner, which competes with Airbus's new 300-seat plane.

``A lot of the orders they booked were for the A350,'' said Zafar Khan, London-based analyst with Societe Generale. ``When you launch an aircraft, you tend to get lots of orders. Launch customers get very attractive deals.''

Airbus lost a five-year lead in orders to Chicago-based Boeing in 2006 as several A350 redesigns left the planemaker without a strong offering against the Dreamliner. The company was hobbled by its bet on the 555-seat A380, which is two years late and will cut profit at parent European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. by 4.8 billion euros ($6.4 billion) through 2010.

Shares of EADS rose 34 cents, or 1.4 percent, to 24.10 euros in Paris. The stock has fallen 7.7 percent this year compared with a 7.9 percent gain for Boeing.

Passing Boeing

The European planemaker overtook Boeing in terms of the number of planes ordered this year. Based on the sum of its May 31 total and announcements at the show, Airbus has at least 626 orders on its books. Boeing announced 66 new orders at the show altogether, taking its year-to-date total to 510 as of June 20.

``Our longstanding policy is not to store up order announcements for an air show,'' Boeing said in a statement. ``We used the show to confirm that the 787 Dreamliner remains on schedule for first delivery in May 2008.''

Airbus this week also won non-binding commitments, or preliminary orders, for an additional 303 planes worth an estimated $37 billion at list prices.

``The air show has confirmed that Airbus is very much back on the market,'' Chief Executive Officer Louis Gallois said today in a statement.

Airbus aims to convert all this week's non-binding orders into contracts by the end of the year, Airbus Chief Operating Officer John Leahy said in an interview. Achieving that goal would bring Airbus about 930 firm orders in 2007.

Firming Orders

``We will firm up all these MOUs by the end of the year,'' Leahy said, referring to the memoranda of understanding in which order commitments are expressed.

New Airbus orders this week included 141 firm contracts for the A350 XWB, taking the total order book for the planned mid- sized airliner to 154, approaching the 200-plane target the company set for itself for the year. That compares with 634 orders Boeing has for the 787, scheduled to enter service in 2008, five years before the Airbus plane.

Besides the Singapore Airlines contract, major Airbus contracts included a $19.3 billion Qatar Airways order for 80 A350 XWBs and three A380 superjumbos and $4.8 billion in OAO Aeroflot deals for 22 A350s and five single-aisle A321s.

The highlight of Boeing's show was a June 19 order from International Lease Finance Corp., the world's biggest aircraft leasing company, for 50 787s and 10 737s.

``While Airbus certainly had the quantity, I'd put the ILFC 787 order down as the quality order of the show,'' said Doug McVitie, managing director of Arran Aerospace, a Dinan, France- based consulting firm. ``If ILFC had chosen the A350 instead, that really would have been champagne time for Airbus.''

By Andrea Rothman and Laurence Frost
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Iran to unveil homemade two-seat aircraft July 1

Iran would introduce a homemade two-seat airplane on July 1, marking the Industry and Mine Day, said a Ministry of Industries and Mines official here Wednesday.

Abdolhamid Samareh-Hashemi added the first phase of Iranian Aluminium Co. (IRALCO) with a 120,000 ton production capacity in Arak, the capital of Markazi Province, would be also inaugurated, creating 500 jobs.

He said 57 projects valued at 10.208 billion dollars and financed by foreign investors was approved in the last Iranian calendar year (ended March 20, 2007), showing a 538 percent increase when compared to that of its preceding year.

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Airbus revives as buyers queue up

AIRBUS is back - that was the claim made by the European manufacturer's president, Louis Gallois, at this week's Paris Air Show.

With Airbus orders and commitments for over 400 aircraft of different models worth an estimated $50 billion from over a dozen airlines and leasing companies, Boeing president Jim McNerney had to agree.

"Yes, Airbus is back and we congratulate them. There is a resurgence of A350 orders and a healthy backlog of A320 orders. We always anticipated they would be back. Over the past 30 years Airbus's history has been one of success. They are a fine company with fine people."

Airbus has just endured a difficult year with a two-year delay in its flagship A380 because of wiring design problems, while its answer to Boeing's 787 has been delayed by several redesigns because of airline objections.

But Mr McNerney was not troubled by Airbus's order count for the Paris Air Show, highlighting that some of the orders were "reconfirmations of existing commitments".

Mr McNerney told The Australian that at Boeing "orders come when they come, which luckily has been at a regular drumbeat".

Boeing also secured many large orders, the showpiece being an order for 52 of its 787s from the world's largest leasing company, Los Angeles-based International Lease Finance Corp.

That buy took orders for the 787, which will be rolled out on July 8, to an unprecedented 679 from 45 airlines, leasing customers and private buyers and worth an estimated $150 billion.

ILFC becomes the largest customer for the 787, with total orders for 74, followed by All Nippon with 50 and Qantas with 45. Qantas is expected to convert options for 20 this year.

The largest single deal at the air show was from Qatar Airways, which signed for 80 of the 270 to 350-seat A350XWBs, along with three 555-seat A380s, and is worth a total of $20 billion.

To meet demand, Boeing is studying lifting its production rate for all its commercial models, not just the 787, which is the fastest selling commercial aircraft ever.

Mr McNerney said "rates are being examined on all models".

He also added that serious discussions were under way with giant US carriers such as American, United and Delta for possible large orders for the 787. He said Boeing would win its fair share of the equipment decisions from these airlines and major European and Middle East airlines Lufthansa, British Airways and Emirates, which were all weighing the A350XWB and the 787.

Boeing has firm orders, options and proposals with potential customers for over 2000 787s, according to 787 program manager Mike Bair.

Mr Bair revealed that Boeing expected some of those proposals - some for large orders - to be decided "by year's end".

On the much anticipated larger 320-seat 787-10, which Qantas wants, Mr Bair said he was confident that the manufacturer could reach the range target of similar or better than the 777-200ER of 7700 nautical miles to be met by a weight-reduction program.

"Right now we are 700nm short of that but I am confident we can meet the target," Mr Bair said.

However, Boeing is not going to increase the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft which would require a heavier six-wheeled undercarriage.

The full of this article's can be read on the source at: theaustralian.news.com.au Read More..