Ultimas noticias (Aviation News Bits)

Delta Air Lines Inc, the world's No. 2 airline by traffic, is studying the No. 5 U.S. airline, US Airways Group Inc., as a possible acquisition target, according to media reports. Delta has also been assessing a similar move for American Airlines parent, AMR Corp. US Airways, meanwhile, is also looking at a possible tie-up with AMR. A marriage of US Airways and AMR would form a company on par with Delta or United. The recent string of airline industry mergers and acquisitions has resulted in larger airlines and reduced the number of major U.S. carriers to five from roughly triple that number 20 years ago.
 
The collapse of Barcelona-based Spanair -- Spain’s fourth-biggest airline by passenger numbers -- after the withdrawal of state funding suggests Europe’s debt crisis may spur airlines from the Mediterranean to the Baltic to consider mergers or risk failure. Governments are becoming reluctant to save ailing airlines as the debt crisis forces austerity programs in other parts of the economy. Said John Strickland, an aviation analyst at JLS Consulting in London: “Governments don’t have the financial wherewithal to support airlines in the same way as in the past.” State investors in Stockholm-based SAS AB, Aer Lingus Group Plc of Ireland, Portugal’s TAP and the flag carriers of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic have all signaled plans to reduce direct support and seek new investors.
 
Fresh from placing one of Europe's biggest ever aircraft orders, the head of Norwegian Air Shuttle predicted more airline collapses in Europe this year and said his airline stood ready to plug the gaps. He said there are too many European airlines with fleets that are too old to be profitable with today’s oil prices, adding that high costs and old planes are a dangerous mix. Norwegian Air Shuttle’s expansion to over 220 aircraft would put it in the same league as Ireland’s Ryanair, which operates about 275 aircraft.
 
Richard Aboulafia, an aviation industry analyst with the Teal Group, said this week that the production boom ahead could leave Boeing with a 56 percent market share compared to Airbus's 44 percent in 10 years, instead of the roughly even split today. Aboulafia also largely dismissed the emerging contenders to challenge Boeing and Airbus in the single-aisle market. He said Bombardier, while on paper offering a solid design with its CSeries plane, can't match the marketing heft and support services network of the 737 and the A320. As for the forthcoming Russian and Chinese entrants to the single-aisle market — the Irkut MS-21 and the Comac C919 — Aboulafia pretty well dismissed them, noting: “These look more like science-fair projects more than anything else”
 
Boeing projects “strong” long-term growth in the airline industry over the next two decades, with Asia-Pacific carriers providing the impetus of that expansion. For the 2011-2030 period, global airlines are forecast to require 33,500 new aircraft, according to Boeing Commercial Airplanes' Vice President for Marketing Randy Tinseth. Demand will be underpinned by Asia-Pacific carriers, which are likely to need 11,450 new aircraft over the same period, Tinseth said. He added that the duopoly between Boeing and Airbus is over, noting: “Over the next 20 years, we see demand for almost 24,000 single-aisle airplanes. It's a space that's big enough for us and Airbus to grow, and probably big enough for one or more new competitors to be successful as well.”
 
The V2500 engine will be around for another 30 years, according to Ian Aitken, president and CEO of International Aero Engines (IAE), the consortium of engine companies that makes the engine -- which powers the Airbus A320 aircraft family. IAE delivered 420 V2500 engines last year and anticipates delivering 450 this year. Aitken noted that IAE is still ramping up production and still selling engines for delivery for 2017/18. He added that he does expect production rates to go down slowly toward 2020 after the A320neo enters service. With just over 5,000 engines in service, the V2500 fleet is racking up a million flight hours a year and has just passed the 100 million hours milestone
 
Boeing and Airbus are boosting production levels by about 40% over the next two years, citing demand from emerging markets and the need for developed-nation carriers to replace older planes. But the head of one of the world's largest aircraft-leasing companies issued a stark warning this week that Airbus and Boeing are building too many planes, with some recent blockbuster orders unlikely to be completed in full. Aengus Kelly, chief executive of AerCap Holdings NV -- which owns 350 planes and is the No. 3 global leasing company after the Gecas unit of General Electric Co. and ILFC, a unit of American International Group Inc –- said there has been a vast amount of overordering. An Airbus spokeswoman said Airbus's production correlates precisely to real demand.
 
Mitsubishi Aircraft is set to announce a delay to the Mitsubishi Regional Jet – or MRJ -- schedule due to development difficulties. According to one industry executive not involved in the program, Mitsubishi Aircraft has encountered problems in development of the MRJ’s flight control system. Hitoshi Iwasa, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Mitsubishi Aircraft, said development of the 70- to 90-passenger plane is going very smoothly in some areas, but that the company is experiencing difficulties in other areas. As a result, some schedule impact will occur. All Nippon Airways has ordered 15 MRJs and Trans States Holdings of the U.S. has ordered 50. ANI Group Holdings, a Hong Kong subsidiary of lessor Aero Nusantara Indonesia, has signed a memorandum of understanding covering an intended order for five.
 
After selling more than 1,000 A320neos in 2011, Airbus is quietly switching tactics by putting emphasis on sales of the existing A320 model to prevent unwanted gaps in production. The change of focus highlights a dilemma common to Airbus and Boeing, as well as other manufacturers with long lead times: how to preserve demand for existing products while promising something better tomorrow. It also sheds light on the financial risks of allowing any gaps to appear in an impressive but fragile production machine that churns out on average more than one medium-haul Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 airliner every day on each side of the Atlantic. Any production gaps would hit Airbus revenues further down the line as about 80 percent of the value of a plane is paid on delivery. But having gaps in production of the most popular jets can have an even deeper financial impact by reducing the cash available for costly future airplane developments. Lower production also drives up marginal production costs. Airbus has set a target to sell 300 A320s this year, after selling 244 in 2011.
 
Boeing 787 Dreamliner Lands in Santiago for Chilean Debut

-Dreamliner visits Santiago, Chile for FIDAE Air Show and LAN Airlines
SANTIAGO, Chile, March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Boeing [NYSE: BA] 787 Dreamliner touched down in Santiago, Chile today for a weeklong visit as the centerpiece at the FIDAE 2012 International Air and Space Fair.

Throughout the week, LAN Airlines executives and employees, special invited guests, media and other air show attendees will get a chance to tour and experience much of the airplane's cutting-edge technological advancements.

LAN is Boeing's largest 787 customer in Latin America, with 32 Dreamliners on order, 26 directly from Boeing and an additional six on lease, and will be the first Latin American carrier to operate the Dreamliner. This is the airplane's first visit to Chile.
 
First 787s delivered with the General Electric GEnx engines-- First ever 787 double delivery on Sunday
-- JAL uses 787 to start new routes
EVERETT, Wash., March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) today celebrated the delivery of the airline's first two 787 Dreamliners. JAL is the first airline to take delivery of a 787 powered by fuel-efficient General Electric GEnx engines.

"Today is an important moment in our 60-year relationship with Japan Airlines as we celebrate the deliveries of not one, but two Dreamliners," said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The 787 will provide the fuel-efficient airplane needed to serve Japan Airlines' growing international operations."

The 787 Dreamliner is more efficient to operate and has lower fuel use compared with today's similarly sized airplanes because of use of light weight composites and advancements in systems, engines and aerodynamics.

"JAL will be the first airline to start new routes that have never been flown before by taking full advantage of the efficiencies of this aircraft, starting with Boston service next month and San Diego later this year," said Yoshiharu Ueki, president of Japan Airlines. "The 787 with GEnx engines has the performance economics that JAL is looking for to ensure route profitability, and also the enhanced in-flight comfort that our customers will be delighted with."

Japan Airlines ceremonially took possession of the 787 Dreamliner at a celebration with Japanese Taiko drummers and a dramatic airplane unveiling earlier this morning. Guests from Boeing, Japan Airlines and General Electric attended.

"GE is proud that its GEnx-1B engines will power JAL's Boeing's 787 Dreamliner," said Chuck Nugent, vice president and general manager of the GEnx program at GE Aviation. "The GEnx engine combines advanced technology and material to offer improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and less noise to benefit our operators."
 
Boeing CEO James McNerney said last week that Boeing has no current plans to offer the Pratt and Whitney geared turbofan as an engine option for the 737 MAX. McNerney also said that despite the choppy pace of the slow economic recovery, global demand for aircraft is strong and growing. He noted that cargo traffic remains below long-term trends, but that it is stabilizing and projected to improve in the second half of the year.
 
Boeing said this week it’s on track to hit its 787 Dreamliner production rate target of 10 per month by the end of next year and is studying the possibility of raising that target. The current production rate is 3.5 per month. Boeing aims to assemble seven Dreamliners per month at its Washington factory and three per month at its second assembly plant in South Carolina. Last month, the company said the South Carolina 787 assembly line can hit or exceed its rate target.
 
Southwest Airlines, which is phasing out its Boeing 737 Classic aircraft by about 2017, is finding ways to use engine inventory from that fleet to decrease its maintenance costs. The carrier is tearing down the CFM56-3 engines that power its 737-300/-400/-500 aircraft and salvaging usable materials to decrease engine overhaul costs. Several parts on the -3 engine are interchangeable with the CFM56-7, the engine featured on the 737-700.
 
United Tech offers concessions for Goodrich buy - source

Mon, Jun 11 16:57 PM IST
* Offers to sell assets to win $16.5 bln deal approval

* EU regulators expected to market test proposal

* EU Commission to decide on deal by Aug. 31

* Regulatory concerns about engine control, power systems markets

* United Tech owns Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, Carrier, Otis and Sundstrand brands

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS, June 11 (Reuters) - U.S. conglomerate United Technologies Corp has offered to sell assets to secure EU regulatory approval for its $16.5 billion takeover of U.S. aircraft components maker Goodrich, a person familiar with the matter said.

The European Commission has been examining the deal, UTC's biggest in a decade and with which it aims to build critical mass in new aircraft technology and plane services as civil aviation demand recovers.

UTC, whose products include Pratt & Whitney engines and Sikorsky helicopters and which is a top player in aircraft landing gear, has proposed divestments, said the source, who declined to provide detail because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The EC, which has set an Aug. 31 deadline for a decision on the deal, was expected to market test the proposed concessions with rivals and customers of UTC and Goodrich.

UTC, Goodrich and the European Commission could not be reached for comment.

Goodrich supplies parts to several UTC operations, including for Pratt & Whitney jet engines and its Hamilton Sundstrand's aircraft electronics. Its commercial plane programmes include the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A320neo.

UTC, is also a leading maker of air conditioners and which owns the Otis brand of elevators and escalators, has said it aimed to sell three smaller businesses - its Rocketdyne space unit, Clipper Windpower and some industrial units at the Hamilton Sundstrand aircraft components operation - to fund the Goodrich purchase.

EU regulators opened an investigation into the deal in March after an initial assessment showed competition concerns in the markets for engine controls and AC power generators, because of the combined group's high market share.

The EU competition authorities also expressed concern about the loss of Goodrich as an independent supplier of fuel nozzles and engine controls, and as a player in aftermarket services.

Goodrich last week sold its share of an engine controls joint venture to Rolls-Royce, a deal which the British aero engine maker had agreed with United Tech.

UTC competes with General Electric in several markets.
 
Embraer la empresa brasileña fabricante de aviones jet, tratando de aumentar los ingresos de su unidad de defensa, dijo esta semana que Boeing le ayudará a desarrollar su KC-390, un avión de transporte. El KC-390 será un transporte militar que Embraer está desarrollando para competir con el Lockheed Martin C-130. Embraer y Boeing, intercambiarán información técnica y de mercado como parte del acuerdo. Boeing ya produce el avión de transporte C-17, que lleva cargas más pesadas que para las que el KC-390 estará diseñado y compartirá su experiencia en la producción y mercadeo del avión. Embraer dijo que tiene cartas de intención de clientes potenciales por 60 KC-390s. El avión se espera que entre en servicio en 2015.
 
La industria aérea se convierte cada vez más en una de auto-servicio con la llegada de la reserva de billetes en línea, impresión de tarjetas de embarque e incluso etiquetas de equipaje hágalo usted mismo. Ahora Delta Air Lines pondrá en prueba la siguiente función de auto-servicio que probablemente se extenderá en los próximos años: Torniquetes automáticos de embarque en las puertas de salida. Esos torniquetes – que ya están en uso en algunas partes de Europa - permiten a los pasajeros escanear sus propias tarjetas de embarque y continuar por la pasarela hasta el avión sin interactuar con algún empleado de la aerolínea. Delta puso a prueba dichas máquinas recientemente en Atlanta y Las Vegas.
 
El estudio realizado por la revista Aviation Week sobre las Top Performers Airlines (TPA) pone de relieve el hecho de que en la industria de las aerolíneas de hoy, más grande no necesariamente significa mejor. La metodología de calificación para el estudio de TPA ofrece una combinación de cinco categorías de desempeño: salud financiera, rendimiento de ganancias, liquidez, gestión de costos de combustible y la utilización de activos. Este año, el Top-10 total de la lista está dominado por las compañías aéreas en las categorías medianas y pequeñas. Nueve de 10 caen dentro de dichas categorías y sólo uno - Singapore Airlines – pertenece al nivel mayor.
¿La conclusión? Hay una etapa en el ciclo de vida de una compañía aérea el que está perfectamente adaptada al tamaño de su mercado y plan de negocios. Sin embargo, esta banda de alto rendimiento puede ser estrecha, y una vez que una aerolínea se mueve más allá de ella, nunca podrá volver a ver el mismo nivel de éxito. Por ejemplo, el consejo de asesores de la TPA menciona a Southwest Airlines como una compañía que se ha movido más allá de su rango de tamaño ideal. Sólo una compañía aérea de EE.UU. entró en la lista Top-10: Allegiant Air - una aerolínea de bajo costo con base en Las Vegas.
 
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