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New Berlin airport delayed for fourth time

Editor — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 19:24:54 +0000

The opening of Berlin’s new airport may be postponed for a fourth time, marking the latest delay in a project that has turned into an embarrassment for a country that prides itself on efficiency and punctuality.

The management of the new Willy Brandt airport, has informed its government stakeholders of “major problems” with the project’s fire safety system and other technical features, Transport Ministry spokesman Sebastian Rudolph said.

The airport, one of Germany’s biggest infrastructure projects, was first scheduled to be opened in late 2011 and was designed to replace Berlin’s two small and aging airports, Tegel and Schoenefeld, which served West and East Berlin respectively during Germany’s Cold War division.

However, the 2011 opening was first delayed to June 2012, then March 2013, before a new date was set for October 27. Fixing the problems announced on Monday is likely to delay the planned opening beyond that final date.

The costs for the Willy Brandt airport have already more than doubled to €4.4bn (£3.6bn). Postponing the opening date yet again will lead to additional costs, Mr Rudolph acknowledged.

Finance Ministry spokeswoman Marianne Kothe said the government was “surprised by this development”, adding that “nobody can put an exact figure on the financial repercussions”.

The project has quickly turned into a fiasco for local politicians in Berlin and Brandenburg, the state that surrounds the capital and is the site for the new airport. The two state governments together own a majority in the airport’s management company.

Boeing Completes 2012 with Record-Setting Performance

Editor — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:01:41 +0000

- 1,203 net commercial orders is second-largest in company history

- 601 deliveries, most since 1999, fueled by production rate increases

- 737 program breaks records for orders and deliveries in a single year

SEATTLE, Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – Boeing (NYSE: BA) booked 1,203 net commercial airplane orders in 2012, the second-largest number in company history. The company also delivered 601 airplanes, the most since 1999. Boeing’s unfilled commercial airplane orders at the end of the year stood at 4,373, the most in company history.

“Our employees rose to the challenge of executing several production rate increases in 2012—a truly remarkable performance,” said Ray Conner, president and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Increasing our deliveries by 26 percent allowed us to put more airplanes into the hands of our customers and grow our customer base by offering the best products and services.”

The 737 program broke the record for orders for any Boeing model in a single year, accumulating 1,124 net orders. The 737 MAX – the new engine variant of the best-selling 737 – recorded 914 of those orders, bringing total orders to date to 1,064. In addition, the Next-Generation 737 set a new single-year record with 415 deliveries to customers worldwide. The 737 program also celebrated its 10,000th order in 2012.

Boeing’s leadership in the widebody market continued in 2012. The year began with the five-continent 787 Dream Tour and ended with 11 787 deliveries in December to seven customers. To date, 49 787s have been delivered to eight customers.

The 777, which totaled 83 deliveries in 2012 and surpassed 1,000 since launch, won 68 net orders. The airplane continues to win accolades from passengers, earning three prestigious awards voted on by business travelers. With 31 deliveries in 2012, the 747-8 Intercontinental and Freighter have received positive reviews from customers and are performing as expected in service.

“As we look ahead to 2013, we’re focused on meeting our customer commitments by increasing production rates and delivering high-quality, reliable products and services,” said Conner. “We will also transition the 787-9 into production and flight test and work closely with customers, who contribute so much to our success, to continue defining the 787-10X and 777X.”

Orders, deliveries and unfilled orders as of Dec. 31, 2012, by program were as follows:

Family	Gross Orders	Net Orders	Deliveries	Unfilled orders
737	1,184	1,124	415	3,074
747	7	1	31	67
767	23	22	26	68
777	75	68	83	365
787	50	-12	46	799
Total	1,339	1,203	601	4,373

Boeing Commercial Airplanes highlights in 2012 included:

A detailed report of Boeing Commercial Airplanes orders and deliveries is available on the Orders and Deliveries website.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this report may be “forward-looking” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “targets,” “anticipates,” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions about future events that may not prove to be accurate. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. As a result, these statements speak to events only as of the date they are made and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by federal securities laws. Specific factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding our guidance relating to future financial and operating performance, the effect of economic conditions in the United States and globally, and general industry conditions as they may impact us or our customers, as well as the other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:
Doug Alder
Boeing Commercial Airplanes Media Relations
+1-206-544-1814
doug.alder-jr@boeing.com

SOURCE Boeing

New Myanmar private airline starts to operate soon

Editor — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 11:28:25 +0000

A new private airline Shwe Myanmar Airways starts to operate its maiden flight in Myanmar on January 17, aimed at facilitating travelers with cheaper air fares, according to airlines sources Thursday.

Using 108-seated Air Bus, the flight will leave Yangon at 8 am (local time) and arrive Mandalay International Airport at 8:45 am (local time) on that day.

The return flight will leave Mandalay for Yangon at 9:30 am (local time).

The airlines will introduce a cheap fare about $32 for each way.

In addition to the 64-year-old state-operated domestic Myanma Airways (MA), there are five other private-run domestic airlines in Myanmar, namely Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways, Air Bagan, Asian Wings and Air Kanbawza.

Iberia pilots union demands airline growth plan

Editor — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 11:23:26 +0000

(Reuters) – The pilots union of struggling Spanish airline Iberia demanded a growth plan as it headed into talks on Wednesday with executives over deep job cuts that have also stoked alarm in a country with the highest unemployment in the European Union.

Iberia, part of the International Airlines Group (IAG) along with British Airways, plans to axe about 4,500 jobs – a quarter of the Spanish carrier’s workforce – and cut salaries to become more competitive.

Loss-making Iberia says the cuts are needed to guarantee its survival amid low-cost competition and Spain’s deep economic recession, both of which have weighed on the airline and made it a drag on its more profitable partner, British Airways.

To back the restructuring plan, unions want proof that there is a growth strategy for the airline beyond the cost cuts.

“We’re not very optimistic going into the talks because there still isn’t anything on the table showing how this plan saves Iberia, showing how Iberia will grow in the future,” a union source who asked not to be named said.

No agreement was expected on Wednesday but the talks, to begin at 5 p.m. (1600 GMT), were to set the tone for a deal before the January 31 deadline that Iberia has set for the unions to support the plan.

Airline fees get more complex as American, Southwest make changes

Editor — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 11:20:30 +0000

American Airlines eliminates some fees while Southwest adds some. In a move being watched by competitors, American Airlines is experimenting with a new pricing option that eliminates the potential penalty fee for changing flights for customers who pay a little extra for a basic coach ticket.

The initiative is arguably counterintuitive because domestic airlines have been piling up money in recent years from all sorts of fees — baggage fees and the change-penalty fees among them — on top of the base fares.

American’s new coach fare options are “another example of how we’re building toward a new, innovative and more modern airline,” said Rob Friedman, vice president for marketing at the airline, which is about to emerge from bankruptcy court protection and is in talks with US Airways.

Oddly, while American moves to incorporate some stand-alone fees into some base fares, a process known as bundling a fare, Southwest Airlines seems to be going in the other direction. Southwest, which has long bragged about having simple fare structures that don’t include fees for things like changing tickets or checking bags, recently announced plans to increase its dependence on fees, a process known as unbundling.

Source: http://seattletimes.com

AYLA and JATS sign aviation training agreement

Editor — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 11:03:47 +0000

AYLA (Ayla Aviation Academy) and JATS (Jordan Airline Training and Simulation) have signed a Multi Crew Cooperation (MCC) training agreement, whereby JATS will provide AYLA trainees with a combination of ground school and simulator training hours. The training curriculum has been approved by CARC (Jordan Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission), and will be conducted by JATS instructors.

With more than 47 years of aviation training experience, AYLA and JATS are proud of this partnership that will develop aviation professionals with a state-of-the-art curriculum at JATS’ modern facilities and training equipment at QAIA. Both organizations have a history rich in flight training and the cumulative experience will add tremendous value to students and the aviation industry as a whole.

“The advantage of doing our MCC training at JATS is that it enables our cadets to experience full flight simulator flying with qualified and airline-experienced instructors”, said Marwan Atalla, CEO of AYLA.

Source: http://www.zawya.com

Jet confirms talks with Etihad, deal likely next week

Editor — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 10:59:36 +0000

In its first confirmation of a potential deal with Abu-Dhabhi based Etihad, Jet Airways has said that it is in talks with the Gulf airline for a potential stake sale, although terms have not been finalised yet.

The statement comes a day after a government source said Etihad could pay up to Rs 1,800 crore for a 24 percent stake in Jet.

Even a CNBC-TV8 report said that the two airlines are in final stages of discussion and a deal could be signed by next week.

The two airlines are negotiating a two-part deal structure. The founder of Jet Airways Naresh Goyal is likely to convert shares owned by its holding company into his personal stake to comply with foreign investment regulations. Tail Winds Ltd, the Isle of Man-based investment vehicle of Goyal, currently holds 79.99 percent of Jet Airways.

Jet promoters will sell stake via the issue of preferential shares and warrants. The latter will be converted into equity within 18 months, the CNBC-TV18 report said.

Source:http://www.firstpost.com

Emirates set to become second largest airline this year

Editor — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 10:55:36 +0000

Emirates, the ambitious Dubai carrier, will move within touching distance of becoming the world’s biggest airline this year, research suggests.

In a major shake-up of the global aviation market, the Middle Eastern carrier, which has grown at a phenomenal pace since its inaugural flight in 1985, will overtake US giant Delta within the next 12 months to claim the number two spot in the world.

If Emirates continues to expand at the same pace seen in 2012, when it boosted capacity by 18.4pc, it will be on a flight path to surpass United, currently ranked number one in the world, according to the CAPA Centre for Aviation.

United became the world’s biggest airline through its 2010 merger with Continental.

CAPA ranks long-haul carriers by available seat kilometres (ASK), a measure of an airline’s capacity, which is calculated by multiplying the number of seats on aircraft by the distance flown.

British Airways retained its spot as the seventh biggest airline globally ahead of Air France although the UK airline’s sister carrier, Iberia, was listed separately. Lufthansa remained Europe’s biggest long-haul carrier

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The total order backlog for Il-76MD-90A aircraft is assessed at 1 trillion rubles

Editor — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 10:51:38 +0000

The total order backlog for the advanced military-transport Il-76MD-90A (Il-476) aircraft is assessed at 1 trillion rubles, CEO of Ilyushin Company, Viktor Livanov, said. AEX.ru

“Taking into account the development of the whole aircraft family on the basis of Il-76MD-90A (including advanced tanker aircraft), we believe that the order backlog for these jets will reach 1 trillion rubles soon”, – Viktor Livanov said.

He also noted that the aircraft has a great export potential and it will be offered to the current operators of Il-76 and other Russian-made aircraft. According to Livanov, the serial production of this jet will be carried out in Russia using the advanced technology of 3D digital design.

Viktor Livanov also said that the flight testing of Il-76MD-90A should be completed in the third quarter of 2014, while the first stage of the testing will be completed in the third quarter of 2013. At present the jet resides at Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar-SP. The aircraft has already performed several flights. It is being prepared for flight to Zhukovsky (Moscow Region), where the first stage of the flight testing will be started.

We remind you that Russian Ministry of Defense and United Aircraft Corporation signed a contract in October 2012 on delivery of 39 military-transport Il-76MD-90A aircraft manufactured by Aviastar-SP. The value of this contract is about 140 billion rubles.

Boeing 737 MAX Gets Milestone Order from Aviation Capital Group

Editor — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 10:43:03 +0000

SEATTLE, Jan. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced today an order by Aviation Capital Group (ACG) for 60 737 MAX airplanes. ACG’s order, consisting of 50 737 MAX 8s and 10 737 MAX 9s, was finalized in December 2012. The 737 MAX has now accumulated more than 1,000 orders to date.

“This order is a major step in building our broad portfolio of modern, fuel-efficient airplanes,” said Denis Kalscheur, chief executive officer of ACG. “The 737 MAX enables us to offer our customers airplanes that provide the fuel efficiency, reliability and passenger comforts needed to grow in tomorrow’s marketplace.”

The order, worth $6 billion at current list prices, further illustrates the strong demand for the 737 MAX in the airplane leasing industry.

“We are proud of the confidence that ACG has placed in the 737 MAX,” said John Wojick, senior vice president of Global Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The 737 MAX will deliver to ACG’s customers unsurpassed efficiency in the single-aisle market as well as improved environmental performance.”

The Next-Generation 737 is the most fuel-efficient and reliable single-aisle airplane today with an 8 percent per-seat operating cost advantage over the nearest competitor. The 737 MAX builds on these strengths with advances in fuel-efficiency and environmental performance. Equipped with new LEAP-1B engines from CFM International and improvements such as the Advanced Technology Winglet, the MAX reduces fuel burn and CO2 emissions by 13 percent while maintaining the 8 percent operating cost advantage over future competition.

These efficiencies have powered the 737 MAX to the impressive order milestone. With ACG’s order, the 737 MAX has orders for 1,029 airplanes from airlines and leasing companies worldwide.

“Reaching 1,000 orders in just over a year’s time from our first order validates the exceptional value the 737 MAX offers our customers,” said Bob Feldmann, vice president and general manager, 737 MAX. “Customers are expressing confidence in our ability to deliver improved performance on schedule.”

Contact:
Tim Bader
North American/Leasing Communications
425-717-0672
tim.s.bader@boeing.com