Read by thousands of aviaon professionals and technical decision-makers every week www.avitrader.com WEEKLYAVIATIONHEADLINES Connued on page 3 According to Independent aviaon consultants IBA, a wave of over 2,000 Airbus A320-200 and Boeing 737-800 redeliveries will take place over the next five years, raising quesons over the preparedness of the industry to manage the cost- ly implicaons. Data on es- mated and actual lease end dates taken from IBA’s aviaon analysis plaorm, IBA.iQ, indicates that the Airbus A320-200 and Boeing 737- 800 will experience a surge in rede- liveries if leases are not extended. Phil Seymour, CEO, IBA, says: “Within these numbers, there are plenty of inexperienced lessors and operators and it is inexperience that presents the greatest risk in terms of disputes during complex aircraſt transions.” With disputes increasing despite more focus from lessors and opera- tors, IBA emphasises the importance of both pares being aware of what is required for a redelivery. “With the average redelivery dispute cost- ing $2m, the challenges surrounding aircraſt transions are a potenal minefield,” says Seymour. Redeliveries connue to challenge. At a recent seminar examining the rise in disputes around redeliver- ies and what legal and commercial steps can be taken to minimise and migate losses, IBA observed that contract draſting is improving, re- ducing some of the historical dis- putes around ambiguous terminol- ogy. However, the substanal noise around disputes is rising as the po- tenal for overca- pacity of used air- craſt increases for some types, and the demand for maintenance slots around the peaks of seasonal rede- livery (most oſten Northern Hemi- sphere Winter/Spring) increases. These challenges relate predomi- nantly to an underesmaon of the effort required for an aircraſt return, resulng in late redeliver- WORLD NEWS Lessors need to prepare for a wave of 737-800 redeliveries. Photo: Air Partner ISSN 1718-7966 JuNE 19, 2017/ VOL. 595 The leasing paradigm Are lessors prepared for the boom? TrueNoord steps up investment TrueNoord, the regional aircraſt les- sor, has announced that funds man- aged by BlackRock, a leading global asset management firm, will be co- invesng in its porolio of leased aircraſt assets alongside Bregal Fresh- stream who invested in the company in 2016. This significant and forward- looking agreement will enable Tru- eNoord to intensify the pace of its acquision strategy in the regional aircraſt sector. Furthermore, it will facilitate the escalaon of financing soluons that TrueNoord can provide for airlines seeking specialist regional programmes and growth. Pegasus scoops Airbus award Pegasus Airlines has received an Airbus “Operaonal Excellence” Award at the Operaonal Excellence Awards which was held at the Air- bus A320 Family Symposium on 17 th May in Berlin. Pegasus received the Best Operaonal Excellence Award for Europe, Middle East and Africa – A320 based on its successful perfor- mance across criteria of operaonal safety, fleet ulisaon rate and aver- age delay mes. flydubai announces the start of flights to Kilimanjaro Dubai-based flydubai has announced the start of flights to Kilimanjaro from 29 October. The relaunched service to the carrier’s third point in Tanzania, along with Dar es Salaam and Zanzi- bar, will see flydubai’s network in Afri- ca expand to 12 desnaons. flydubai began operaons to Tanzania in 2014 and has seen a steady growth in pas- senger numbers. Kilimanjaro will be served with six flights a week three of which are via a stop in the capital, Dar es Salaam. In addion, the carrier will increase direct flights to Zanzibar from three to eight flights a week. Share in our success, and enjoy a career in aviation. WWW.AVTRADE.COM/CAREERS [email protected]“With the average redelivery dispute cosng $2m, the challenges surrounding aircraft transitions are a potential minefield.” Phil Seymour, CEO, IBA
Transcript
Read by thousands of aviation professionals and technical decision-makers every week www.avitrader.com
WEEKLY AVIATION HEADLINES
Continued on page 3
According to Independent aviation consultants IBA, a wave of over 2,000 Airbus A320-200 and Boeing 737-800 redeliveries will take placeover the next five years, raising questions over the preparedness of the industry to manage the cost-ly implications. Data on esti-mated and actual lease end dates taken from IBA’s aviation analysis platform, IBA.iQ, indicates that the Airbus A320-200 and Boeing 737-800 will experience a surge in rede-liveries if leases are not extended.
Phil Seymour, CEO, IBA, says: “Within these numbers, there are plenty of inexperienced lessors and operators and it is inexperience that presents the greatest risk in
terms of disputes during complex aircraft transitions.”
With disputes increasing despite more focus from lessors and opera-tors, IBA emphasises the importance
of both parties being aware of what is required for a redelivery. “With the average redelivery dispute cost-ing $2m, the challenges surrounding aircraft transitions are a potential minefield,” says Seymour.
Redeliveries continue to challenge. At a recent seminar examining the rise in disputes around redeliver-
ies and what legal and commercial steps can be taken to minimise and mitigate losses, IBA observed that contract drafting is improving, re-ducing some of the historical dis-putes around ambiguous terminol-
ogy. However, the substantial noise around disputes is rising as the po-tential for overca-pacity of used air-craft increases for some types, and
the demand for maintenance slots around the peaks of seasonal rede-livery (most often Northern Hemi-sphere Winter/Spring) increases.
These challenges relate predomi-nantly to an underestimation of the effort required for an aircraft return, resulting in late redeliver-
WORLD NEWS
Lessors need to prepare for a wave
of 737-800 redeliveries.
Photo: Air
Partner
ISSN 1718-7966 JuNE 19, 2017/ VOL. 595
The leasing paradigm Are lessors prepared for the boom?
TrueNoord steps up investmentTrueNoord, the regional aircraft les-sor, has announced that funds man-aged by BlackRock, a leading global asset management firm, will be co-investing in its portfolio of leased aircraft assets alongside Bregal Fresh-stream who invested in the company in 2016. This significant and forward-looking agreement will enable Tru-eNoord to intensify the pace of its acquisition strategy in the regional aircraft sector. Furthermore, it will facilitate the escalation of financing solutions that TrueNoord can provide for airlines seeking specialist regional programmes and growth.
Pegasus scoops Airbus awardPegasus Airlines has received an Airbus “Operational Excellence” Award at the Operational Excellence Awards which was held at the Air-bus A320 Family Symposium on 17th
May in Berlin. Pegasus received the Best Operational Excellence Award for Europe, Middle East and Africa – A320 based on its successful perfor-mance across criteria of operational safety, fleet utilisation rate and aver-age delay times.
flydubai announces the start of flights to KilimanjaroDubai-based flydubai has announced the start of flights to Kilimanjaro from 29 October. The relaunched service to the carrier’s third point in Tanzania, along with Dar es Salaam and Zanzi-bar, will see flydubai’s network in Afri-ca expand to 12 destinations. flydubai began operations to Tanzania in 2014 and has seen a steady growth in pas-senger numbers. Kilimanjaro will be served with six flights a week three of which are via a stop in the capital, Dar es Salaam. In addition, the carrier will increase direct flights to Zanzibar from three to eight flights a week.
Share in our success, and enjoy a career in aviation.
E190 jet receives South African CAA type certification
The E190 has received type certification from South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority. Airlink, southern Africa’s largest privately owned regional airline, recently took delivery of their first E190, which will soon go into service. Airlink’s E190 will make its public debut in South Africa at the Adrenaline Air Show, Wonderboom National Air-port in Pretoria, to be held on 10-11 June. Type certification opens up new opportunities for the aircraft in South Africa. Embraer sees a market for around 50 jets within Embraer product category over the next decade. Already a significant Em-braer customer, Airlink recently decided to add a further 11 ERJ 140s to its fleet and will soon oper-ate 30 Embraer Regional Jets of all three types – ERJ 135, ERJ 140 and the ERJ 145 – the delivery of which will be completed by mid-2018.
Bombardier sells five Q400 aircraft to undisclosed customer
Bombardier Commercial Aircraft has concluded a firm order for five Q400 aircraft with an un-disclosed customer. Based on the list price of
ies; insufficient records and/or late or incomplete records leading to delays; and a gap between the commercially imposed redelivery condi-tions versus the real state of the operating engine, leading to engines becoming a major cost element of the process, all of which can lead to major overspend.
Elsewhere, Air Partner’s Remarketing division is seeing high levels of ac-tivity in the aircraft sales and leasing market, with some types of aircraft proving particularly popular.
Tony Whitty, Head of Aircraft Remarketing & ACMI at Air Partner, com-ments on what he is currently seeing in the market. “We regularly get asked about the market for used aircraft, but the reality is that it varies with every aircraft type.”
Whitty says currently, there are probably more enquiries from airlines for B737-400s than for A319s, which some people might find surprising since they haven’t been in production since 1999. However, he notes that demand for these aircraft is still strong, with many the fleet being used for cargo.
“For some airlines with extremely low utilisation, capital cost is the key issue and therefore the 737-400 is best suited to their needs,” says Whitty.
“The operating costs of A319s and A320s are quite similar so airlines are choosing the A320 due to its higher capacity.”
...continued from page 1
Delta’s first Airbus A350 leaves Airbus’ paint shop
Delta’s first Airbus A350, Ship 3501, left Airbus’ paint shop in Toulouse, France, on Tuesday June 13, coated in Delta’s signature livery as the aircraft prepares to be delivered in July. The state-of-the-art wide-body jet had its first test flight two weeks ago and will undergo addi-tional flight testing in France before being handed over to Delta; Ship 3501 is expected to enter service this fall on trans-Pacific routes. Delta will be the first u.S. carrier to take delivery of the A350. As Delta’s flagship international aircraft, the A350 will be debut the airline’s Delta One suites in the business class cabin as well as Delta Premium Select. The aircraft will feature 32 Delta One suites, 48 Delta Premium Select seats and 226 seats in the Main Cabin.
Delta Airlines’ A350-900, MSN115, rolls out of paint shop Photo: Airbus
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the Q400, the order is valued at approximately uS$162m.
Kaman extends production of commercial K-MAX helicopter
Kaman Corporation has released that its Aero-systems division will continue production of the commercial K-MAX heavy-lift utility helicopter. The company resumed K-MAX production in 2015 after a more than decade-long hiatus with an initial commitment to build at least ten new aircraft. “Continued demand and interest in the capabilities of the K-MAX have provided us the confidence to extend production into 2019 at a minimum. This is great news for operators who need the K-MAX to perform their repetitive lift missions cost effectively. Our team has done a great job assessing the global market and work-ing with potential and existing customers to se-cure additional orders for our K-MAX helicopter,” said Greg Steiner, President, Kaman Aerospace Group. K-MAX aircraft are manufactured in the company’s North American facilities in Jackson-ville, Florida and Bloomfield, Connecticut. Or-ders for new K-MAX aircraft have thus far come from China, Europe and North America.
Norwegian’s fleet renewal continues
Norwegian´s fully owned subsidiary Arctic Avia-tion Assets (AAA) has ordered two new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. In addition, AAA has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for a sale-and-leaseback transaction of 11 Boeing 737-800 aircraft cur-rently operated by Norwegian. Norwegian has exercised its options to order two new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that will be delivered during 2018. Following this announcement, AAA now
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easyJet receives first of 130 A320neo aircraft
Airbus has delivered easyJet’s first A320neo, which is also the airline’s 300th A320 Family aircraft. The aircraft, powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines, is configured in a comfortable 186-seat layout. To mark the occasion and to distinguish the NEO fleet, the aircraft has a specially designed NEO logo on the fuselage. easyJet’s NEO fleet will be based out of London Luton Airport and will operate its first commercial flights in June to Amsterdam, Madrid and Ed-inburgh. From its first A320 Family delivery in 2003, easyJet has grown to operate Europe’s largest A320 Family fleet and is also Europe’s largest customer for the NEO. Environmentally, the NEO has significant benefits with a 15% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions, rising to 20% by 2020. The noise footprint is also reduced by 50%. In May 2017, easyJet upsized orders for 30 A320neos with 186 seats to the larger capacity A321neo with 235 seats for growth at slot-constrained airports.
easyJet takes delivery of first A320neo aircraft, the 300th A320 Family aircraft for the airline Photo: Airbus
has a firm order of 110 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and 90 remaining purchase options. The LOI for sale-and-leaseback of 11 aircraft is expected to reduce the Norwegian Group’s financial net debt by approximately NOK1.4 bn. On May 4, 2017, Norwegian announced the sale-and-leaseback of eight new Boeing 737-800 aircraft to be con-ducted in the second quarter. Following the
sale of 19 aircraft (eight new deliveries and 11 existing), the Norwegian Group estimates a positive net cash flow impact of approximately NOK2.3bn. These aircraft will be leased back to Norwegian me. (uS$1.00 = NOK8.5 at time of publication.)
6
WEEKLY AVIATION HEADLINES
Lufthansa to transfer five of its 14 Airbus A380s from Frankfurt to Munich
Starting in summer 2018, Lufthansa will intro-duce the Airbus A380 in Munich on long-haul destinations to Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Beijing. For this reason, Lufthansa will transfer five of its 14 Airbus A380s from Frankfurt to Mu-nich. As a result, up to 500 new positions will be staffed in Bavaria. “With the A380 we can offer our Munich customers a premium aircraft at a 5-Star hub,“ said Harry Hohmeister, member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and responsible for Hub Management. “In recent years, we have made great progress in steering our hubs. We harmonized and integrated pro-cesses and are now more flexible in utilizing our aircraft at different locations. Quality, efficiency and growth will always remain our top priority.” Lufthansa is showing a clear sign for continued growth in Bavaria. Over the next two years, the Lufthansa long-haul fleet in Munich will receive two more aircraft.
Allegiant and ALAFCO sign lease agree-ment for thirteen Airbus A320 aircraft
Allegiant has signed an agreement with ALAFCO Aviation Lease and Finance Company to lease 13 Airbus A320 aircraft. This agreement is another important step towards Allegiant’s planned transition to an all-Airbus fleet by 2019. The 13 8-year-old Airbus aircraft acquired via this agreement are expected to enter service with Allegiant beginning in the first quarter of 2018, configured with 186 seats and the CFM56-5B engine type. The agreement includes an option to purchase at the end of the lease term. This transaction brings Allegiant to a total of 92 Air-bus aircraft either in service or committed for future delivery.
Rolls-Royce begins production of Trent XWB engines at Dahlewitz site
Rolls-Royce officially opened a new assembly line for its Trent XWB engines in Dahlewitz, Germany, on June 14, complementing its main production line in Derby, u.K., and marking the first time that complete large civil engines have been assembled in Germany. The new assembly line will help meet the exceptional demand for Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB engines by delivering up to two engines per week by the end of the year. Combining this with the capacity to deliver up to five Trent XWB engines from its main produc-tion line in Derby means that Rolls-Royce will be able to deliver one Trent XWB engine per day at peak periods. The Trent XWB is the world’s most
AIRCRAFT & ENGINE NEWS Lockheed Martin’s LM-100J Commercial Freighter will make international debut at 2017 Paris Air Show
Lockheed Martin’s LM-100J commercial freighter aircraft will make its international debut at the 2017 International Paris Air Show. The LM-100J represents the 17th different mission ca-pability for the C-130J Super Hercules platform and is an updated version of the L-100 cargo aircraft, which Lockheed Martin produced from 1964-1992. The LM-100J made its first flight on May 25, 2017. “The LM-100J has performed remarkably well in flight tests just two weeks after its first flight. Because of this strong performance, we decided to fly the LM-100J to Paris to be on display at the world’s greatest airshow,” said George Shultz, Vice President and Gen-eral Manager, Air Mobility & Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed Martin LM-100J first flight Photo: Lockheed Martin/Todd R. McQueen
Textron Aviation rolls out first production Cessna Citation Longitude
Textron Aviation rolled out the first production unit of the Cessna Citation Longitude on June 13, the company’s latest clean-sheet design, super-midsize business jet. State-of-the-art as-sembly and fabrication tools and techniques bring exceptional quality and superior fit and finish to this revolutionary aircraft. The Longitude production program takes advantage of new technologies such as monolithic machining where major assemblies are milled from a single piece of metal rather than assembled from smaller pieces, reducing the number of parts and resulting in more precise tolerances for easier assembly. Textron Aviation has also employed and expanded vertical tooling on the assembly line of the Longitude. First utilized on the Cita-tion Latitude midsize jet, the vertical tooling stations provide enhanced ergonomics for em-ployees and make more efficient use of factory space. The first Longitude flew in October 2016 and to date, the flight test program’s four aircraft have accumulated more than 550 hours. A fifth aircraft will join the flight test program this summer, showcasing the company’s dedica-tion and commitment to getting the aircraft in the hands of its customers. The Longitude is expected to enter the market by the end of the year.
Roll-out of first production Cessna Citation Longitude Photo: Textron Aviation
7
WEEKLY AVIATION HEADLINES
efficient large civil aero engine and exclusively powers the Airbus A350 aircraft. With over 1,600 orders to date, it also holds the record of being the fastest-selling wide-body engine ever.
China Aircraft Leasing (CALC) orders 50 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft
Chine Aircraft Leasing (CALC) has entered into an aircraft purchase agreement with Boeing for 50 new 737 MAX series aircraft, with a list price of uS$5.8bn. The aircraft are scheduled for de-livery in stages up to 2023. CALC has explored a variety of financing channels to ensure flexibility for its global expansion. In addition to its long-standing relationship with Chinese and interna-tional banks, CALC has been an active player in the bond market, having issued three batches of senior unsecured bonds in the aggregate amount of uS$1.1bn over the past 18 months. The group has also made disposal of finance lease receivables a recurrent business, enabling it to efficiently utilize equity and debt financing arrangements. The group currently owns a fleet of 87 aircraft. With this new order, CALC’s out-standing order book now consists of 139 aircraft (89 Airbus and 50 Boeing), putting the company on track to deliver a total of no less than 226 air-craft by 2023.
AIRCRAFT & ENGINE NEWS Jet Aviation opens new FBO at Boston/Bedford
Jet Aviation has reported the opening of a new hangar and Fixed Base Operation (FBO) ter-minal at Hanscom Field in Boston/Bedford on June 8. “With these new facilities and added capabilities at Boston/Bedford, Jet Aviation is truly taking a big step into the future of pre-mium service for our customers and the community here,” said Jet Aviation President, Rob Smith, adding that: “The new ‘state-of-the-art’ facilities are designed and built to improve safety and efficiency, and are also more protective of the environment. We are working with the united States Green Building Council to gain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.” Smith noted that the new 40,000 ft² hangar is capable of han-dling aircraft up to the Gulfstream G650 and the Global 7000. The two-story FBO termi-nal has 13,000 ft² dedicated to customer service and another 16,000 ft² of office and shop space. The 92,000 ft² ramp and apron have been upgraded, while a new entrance roadway, parking, and utilities connecting to the FBO have been installed.
PPG intelligent window systems undergo-ing flight testing for type certificates
PPG is flight testing WINLOGIC intelligent win-dow systems to receive amended and sup-plemental type certificates from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The patented PPG cockpit window systems provide protec-tion from an emerging electrical fault that may result in a failure of the window. The window can subsequently be replaced and not cause a major flight interruption. WinLogic intelligent window systems by PPG have already received Technical Standard Order authorization from the FAA to TSO-C178 and European Technical Stand-ard Order authorization by the European Avia-
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tion Safety Agency (EASA) to ETSO-C178PPG is launching its new branding for WinLogic intelli-gent window systems and displaying an example at the Paris Air Show.
KLM UK Engineering adds CASA Part 145 approval to maintain Australian regis-tered aircraft
KLM uK Engineering has added CASA Part 145 approval to its portfolio from June 2017. A Euro-pean leader in the regional jets & narrow-body aircraft market, and having internationally ac-knowledged expertise on the Embraer 170/190, BAe146/Avro RJ, Fokker 70/100, Boeing 737 &
Airbus A320 Family, KLM uK Engineering has extended its services to include CASA Part 145 approval to meet the growing demands from its customer base. This latest offering complements the existing portfolio at KLM uK Engineering’s base maintenance facility, where it can maintain five lines of heavy maintenance, provide onsite workshop support, and operate a technical train-ing college delivering Part 147.
GA Telesis expands iGEAR program cover-age; signs agreement with Trade Air
GA Telesis (GAT) reported that TRADE AIR, d.o.o. has entered into an agreement to receive rotable
component flight-hour support through GAT’s Intelligent Global Engine and Airframe Replen-ishment (iGEAR) program. Launched in 2016 and managed by GAT’s Component Solutions Group, iGEAR programs provide airlines and operators with access to a global distribution network for rotable inventory and includes 24/7/365 Live AOG support. The agreement with Trade Air will initially cover one A320 aircraft which will be sup-ported via GAT’s uK-based customer service and distribution centers. In addition to rotable inven-tory support, Trade Air will also have the ability to participate in fully integrated nacelle and flight control exchange programs through GAT’s Strate-gic Nacelle Access Pool and Aircraft Flight Control Surface Support programs, respectively.
Safran Aircraft Engines and AFI KLM E&M unveil new joint venture - Airfoils Advanced Solutions
Safran Aircraft Engines and AFI KLM E&M have started the construction phase of a new engine component repair facility, Airfoils Advanced So-
lutions, a year after the joint venture was first announced. Located in the Sars-et-Rosières busi-ness park in north of France, the facility, when completed in 2018, should employ between 200 and 250 staff. Safran Aircraft Engines holds a 51% stake and AIR FRANCE KLM 49% and who, com-bined, will invest in excess of €20m in the busi-ness. Airfoils Advanced Solutions will be respon-sible for repairing high-pressure compressor blades and variable stator vanes, focusing on the CFM International CFM56 engines powering the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, GE’s GE90 engines powering the Boeing 777, and the Engine Alli-ance GP7200 for the Airbus A380 super-jumbo.The new premises will cover approaching 15,000 m² (162,000 ft²). Airfoils Advanced Solutions will also be involved in repair solutions development, including cutting-edge repairs for fleets serviced by parent companies Safran Aircraft Engines and AFI KLM E&M.“The founding of this joint venture is a major step forward in our repair capabilities for the high-pressure sections of engines serviced by Safran Aircraft Engines and AFI KLM E&M. It’s also a tremendous opportunity for Safran Air-craft Engines to strengthen our position as a ma-jor supplier of engine MRO services. We are also very proud to see that this strategic business
line, requiring highly qualified personnel, will be located in our local communities,” said François Planaud, Executive Vice President, Services & MRO, Safran Aircraft Engines.
Falcon Aviation expands maintenance ser-vice center capability with Pilatus PC-12
uAE’s aviation company Falcon Aviation, special-izing in business aviation services, charter and aircraft management, is expanding its MRO ac-tivity in the growing turboprop market with a Pi-latus PC-12 service center at its Al Bateen Execu-tive Airport Hangar facility. under the warranty services of Pilatus Aircraft and with the backing of AMAC Aerospace, the OEM’s exclusive sales representative in the Middle East, Falcon Avia-tion has ratified a new partnership agreement with PC-12 charter operator GI Aviation to pro-vide line and base maintenance, plus regional AOG support. The relationship extends to park-ing, handling and hangarage at Falcon Aviation’s Hangar facilities at Al Bateen Executive Airport and FBO facilities at Dubai South, Al Maktoum International Airport.
MRO & PRODuCTION NEWS
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GE Aviation acquires leading robotics manufacturer OC Robotics
GE Aviation has acquired OC Robotics, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of commer-cial snake-arm robots and software for confined and hazardous environments. Founded in 1997 in Bristol, uK, OC Robotics’ robotics expertise will support GE Aviation’s Services organization. “OC Robotics will play an important role in how we service our customers’ engines,” said Jean Lydon-Rodgers, vice president and general manager of GE Aviation’s Services organization. “This acqui-sition will expand our component repair devel-opment capabilities and increase the efficiency of the On Wing Support team as they perform inspections and repairs on our customers’ en-gines.” With a reach of more than 3 meters and a cumulative bend of more than 180 degrees, OC Robotics’ flexible snake-arm robots are ideal for working in tight spots and can conduct various tasks, including inspections, fastening and clean-ing when integrated with tooling. OC Robotics is active in the aerospace, nuclear, petrochemical, security and construction industries throughout Europe, North America and Asia. Terms of the ac-quisition are not being disclosed.
Alitalia files for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in U.S.
In order to protect its stateside operating inter-ests, Alitalia has filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection through the u.S courts. u.S Bankrupt-cy judge Sean Lane has granted the Italian flag-carrying airline a restraining order that will last for ten days and unless any creditors object, the order will automatically be extended until June 26. Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection allows for-eign companies access to u.S. bankruptcy courts
FINANCIAL NEWS
and for Alitalia this relates to the carrier’s leased gates at a number of u.S airports and its u.S op-eration which has 36 employees. The company’s attorneys have been arguing that its u.S. business is “critical to its overall global operations” and should thus be protected. Currently the airline operates nine daily flights between the u.S. and Italy. The current Chapter 15 bankruptcy applica-tion has come about through the airline’s receipt of notification from the operators of New York JFK airport that its lease and contract would be termi-nated on June 13 if outstanding debts were not settled. Additionally, its u.S. telecoms provider has advised that telephone and Internet services will be terminated on June 20. In the court-filed petition, it is stated that approxi-mately 30% of Alitalia’s revenue is generated from u.S flights, and 15% of its global revenue through flights to JFK airport. It was back at the end of April that over 60% ofAlitalia crews voted to reject a rescue packagedespite its acceptance by the unions. The carrier is 49% owned by the Gulf airline, Etihad Airways.
Waypoint Leasing extends over US$390m revolving credit facility commitments
Independent global helicopter leasing company Waypoint Leasing, has extended the maturity on two of its existing revolving credit facilities. In aggregate, there are over uS$390m of revolv-ing credit commitments extended across seven lenders, with over uS$100m now maturing in late 2019 and over uS$280m in late 2020. The compa-ny will use the proceeds to support its aircraft or-der program and to continue to facilitate efficient closings and financing solutions for its customers. To date, Waypoint has accessed secured and un-secured financings in the bank, export credit and debt capital markets. Waypoint’s acquired fleet of 147 aircraft has 31 lessees, operating in 31 countries, with total assets in excess of uS$1.6bn. Waypoint has firm and option orders with aircraft manufacturers for helicopters valued at more than uS$1.3bn, comprised primarily of Light Twin to Super-Medium positions focused on a variety of end-user markets, in particular the EMS and utility marketplace.
Baines Simmons wins Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) consultancy contract
Air Partner’s aviation safety consultancy com-pany Baines Simmons has been awarded a contract to provide aviation safety consultancy services to the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO). The objective of the program is to improve and safeguard the airworthiness of all RAFO aircraft for years to come. The contract supports the de-velopment of a new Continuing Airworthiness
MILITARY AND DEFENCE
Daher applies expertise in thermoplastic composites with production of aircraft wing rib for flight testing
Daher has designed and built its first-ever ther-moplastic composite wing rib, applying the com-pany’s expertise with this technology for increas-ingly complex airframe components produced – offering aircraft manufacturers lightweight solutions that are an alternative, or complemen-tary, to metallic and more traditional thermoset composite parts. The thermoplastic compos-ite rib, to be displayed for the first time at thismonth’s Paris Air Show, is sized for a business jet and will be incorporated in a test wing box con-structed during 2018 as part of the Composite Aircraft of the Future platform led by the French Civil Aviation Research Council (CORAC). Daher has focused on innovation since the company’s inception and continues to enhance its expertise in the design, industrialization and manufacture of thermoplastic parts for the aerospace indus-try. This includes the filing of patents and the de-velopment of design and technology capabilities that allow it to create complex parts and offer different materials that can reduce production costs. In addition to their lighter weight, parts made from thermoplastic composites are more resilient and provide recycling potential not pos-sible with other materials.
The 20th turn-key production system for ap-plication of low plasticity burnishing (LPB) has been shipped from Cincinnati-based Lambda Technologies to Michigan, where it will be in-stalled and used to improve the fatigue perfor-mance of commercial jet engine fan blades. This is the fourth complete set of LPB production machinery installed at this facility. Seven more production systems for commercial engines are expected to ship in the near future. The major-ity of these machines will process commercial engine blades or integrally bladed rotors/bladed disks. Lambda currently has equipment in the field processing both commercial and military jet engines, propeller bores, landing gear, and pros-thetic implants for hips and knees. Lambda also maintains seven internal LPB production systems serving other industries.
Brazil approves AerSafe for Boeing 737 Cl series aircraft to comply with Fuel Tank Flammability Reduction rule
AerSale has reported that the National Civil Avi-ation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) has approved a
MRO & PRODuCTION NEWSSupplemental Type Certificate (STC) for installa-tion of its AerSafe system on the Boeing 737 CL series aircraft (ST03589NY) in compliance with the Fuel Tank Flammability Reduction (FTFR) rule. AerSale’s STCs for the Boeing 737 CL and NG series (ST02980NY) have already been ap-proved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). As a fuel tank ignition mitigation means exclusively developed by AerSale, AerSafe comes as a complete prefabricated kit that can be installed anywhere around the world. Boe-ing 737 kits are immediately available to assist operators in meeting the December 26, 2017 deadline established by the FAA and ANAC. FAA approval of AerSale’s STC for the Boeing 767 se-ries aircraft is expected in the coming weeks, while Boeing 757 and Airbus 320 series STCs are anticipated for approval later this year.
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WEEKLY AVIATION HEADLINES
Air BP, the international aviation fuel products and service supplier, has taken over the man-agement and operation of fuel services at Cape Town International Airport (CPT/FACT) in South Africa, effective June 1. The operation, which will be managed through the Cape Town Airport Fuelling Services joint venture, will remain under Air BP’s management for a period of three years. This new contract underlines the company’s reputation as a technical and opera-tions leader and its strength in managing fueling services at major international airports. The new fueling services at Cape Town complement Air BP’s existing operations at South Africa’s OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, where it has successfully managed a similar but larger scale operation for the past five years.
L-R Mark Maclean Assistant General Manager Operations Services Cape Town Airports Company of South Africa and Anthony Leon General Manager Air BP Southern Africa Photo: Air BP
American Airlines Group’s total traffic for May was up 2.6% versus May 2016, while total ca-pacity improved 2.3% versus May 2016. Total passenger load factor was 82.1%, up 0.2 points versus May 2016.
Pilot leaders at Mesa Airlines, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), have reached a tentative agreement (TA) on a new collective bargaining agreement with their man-agement. The new TA includes pay increases for all pilots, increased vacation accrual, and better retirement benefits among many other contract improvements. union leaders will now send the new TA to the pilot group for review and a ratification vote beginning June 26. The new TA comes just three months after Mesa pilots re-quested mediation services from the National Mediation Board (NMB) to facilitate negotia-tions for a collective bargaining agreement. The pilot group has been in contract negotiations for more than six years with no pay increases since 2010.
Leonardo officially opened its AW101 Norway Training Centre on June 12, at Stavanger Sola Airport. The training center includes a new AW101 Full Flight Simulator (FFS) which will sup-port the training of Norwegian aircrew and will also be available to other AW101 customers. The first training course at the centre, for Royal Norwegian Air Force pilots, also started June 12th prior to delivery of the first two of 16 aircraft ordered by the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security for search and rescue. The
• Dr. Michael Kerkloh, the President and CEO of Munich Airport (FMG), has been elected presi-dent of Airport Council International (ACI), the umbrella organization of Europe’s international airports, it was announced in Paris today. Dr. Kerkloh has served on the board of ACI Europe for many years, most recently as the organiza-tion’s first vice president. ACI Europe represents the interests of more than 500 airports in 45 European countries. Michael Kerkloh recently completed a four-year term as the president of the German Airports Association (ADV) and is a member of the executive committee of BDL, the German Aviation Industry Association (BDL).
INDuSTRY PEOPLE
AW101 Full Flight Simulator, jointly developed by Leonardo and CAE to Level D, the highest qualifi-cation for commercial flight simulators, is a CAE Series 3000 device. Located in a new annex to the Thales Flight Training Centre, the simulator is operated and managed by Leonardo Helicopters to deliver its wide range of OEM training cours-es. The centre will also house a Royal Norwegian Air Force owned AW101 SAR console training device that is linked to the FFS to provide rear crew training.
ATR will be adding a brand new Full Flight Simu-lator (FFS) to its Paris Training Centre. Manu-factured by TRu Simulation + Training, this new simulator will allow crew members to receive training on the ATR 72-600. The simulator will be EASA-certified and will start operations as of November 2017. Thanks to this brand new FFS, ATR will provide its customers and opera-tors with extended capacities for training. Based near Charles de Gaulle airport, the Paris Training Centre is ideally located close to one of Europe’s main hubs, where connections from and to all worldwide destinations are possible. The Paris Training Centre is already equipped with an ATR 72-500 FFS. This extension falls in line with ATR’s customer support strategy to provide easy ac-cess to optimized pilot training solutions for its customers.
Haiti-based Sunrise Airways has unveiled the lat-est addition to its fleet: a new Airbus A320 sport-ing an all-new livery and, for the first time in the airline’s history, two classes of service. The 150-seat jet aircraft features 12 seats in first class and 138 in economy. Sunrise Airways’ newest Airbus A320 currently operates from the carrier’s hub in Port-au-Prince to three destinations in Cuba – Havana, Camaguey, and Santiago de Cuba – with additional expansion throughout the Caribbean, as well as North and South America planned for 2017, pending government approval.
OTHER NEWS
ruleset for the RAFO. The RAFO previously used a military regulatory system based on uK legacy requirements, but this will be updated to ensure that the RAFO operates in line with international modern military airworthiness standards. The programme is particularly pertinent following the arrival of new fleets of Typhoon and Hawk 200 aircraft in Oman. The Baines Simmons con-sultancy and training programme is based on the newly completed European Military Airwor-thiness Requirements (EMARs), as well as their source European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations. The Baines Simmons team compris-es civil and military experience, including ex-uK CAA and MAA industry experts. When drafting and implementing the new regulatory system, Baines Simmons will use the expertise it has gained by supporting the EDA and the uK MAA, whose systems are based on the proven Euro-pean civil regulatory model.
MILITARY AND DEFENCE
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WEEKLY AVIATION HEADLINES
AviTrader Publications Corp.Suite 305, South Tower
sensing systems, adhe-sives and coatings – has named Rebecca Wil-liams president of the company’s Aerospace & Defense industry group. In this role, Wil-liams will lead the com-pany’s global business
serving aerospace and defense customers with an enhanced solutions offer through legacy capabilities and recent acquisitions.
• Cusco Aviatio, an aircraft leasing company focusing on a portfolio of 20 midlife narrow-body aircraft based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has released that David Thompsonand Amelia Mafe have joined Cusco Aviationas Senior Commercial advisor and Operat-ing and Technical advisor, respectively. They bring over 50 years of combined experience in the aircraft leasing industry and OEM’s.
• Virgin Group and Aabar have announced the appointment of Dan Hart as CEO of Vir-gin Orbit. Mr. Hart joined the organization in March as President after a distinguished 34 years at Boeing, where he was respon-sible for all of the company’s satellite pro-grams for the u.S. government and several allied countries. His appointment is the final step in the planned establishment of Virgin Orbit as an independent space access com-pany dedicated to serving the small satellite market.
• Ryanair has appoint-ed Chiara Ravara asits new Senior Sales & Marketing Manager, promoting her from her previous role asSales and Marketing Manager for Greece and the East Mediter-
ranean market. Mrs. Ravara has worked with Ryanair since 2014, joining from Aviar-eps in Italy, and will oversee Ryanair’s Sales & Marketing team and activities across 34 countries in Europe and North Africa.
• PPG has named Tim Behmlander aero-space general managerfor the Americas, andReiner Stamm to suc-ceed him as aerospacegeneral manager forthe Europe, Middle East and Africa regions. Behmlander replacesDave Morris, who re-tires July 1, as aero-space vice-presidentand general managerfor the Americas after nearly 50 years in the aerospace industry. In their new positions, Behmlander continues as a member of PPG’s aerospace leadershipteam, and Stamm joins both the company’s aerospace and EMEA-region leadershipteams.
• Bombardier has ap-pointed Michael Ryan as President, Aero-structures and Engi-neering Services, effec-tive July 1, 2017. Mr. Ryan, who previously served as Vice Presi-dent and General Man-
ager of Bombardier’s Belfast Aerostructures facility, will succeed Jean Séguin who is retiring after a very successful 36-year ca-reer with Bombardier. Mr. Ryan will report directly to Alain Bellemare, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier.
• LORD Corporation – a global leader in vi-bration and motion control technologies,
INDuSTRY PEOPLE
Chiara Ravara
Tim Behmlander
Dave Morris
Reiner Stamm
Michael Ryan
Rebecca Williams
Engine Leasing Seminar 2017 September 12, 2017, Holiday Inn Kensington Forum, London
Aircraft Asset Management Seminar 2017 September 13, 2017, Holiday Inn Kensington Forum, London
Engine Leasing Seminar, FL 2017 September 19, 2017, Crowne Plaza, Fort Lauderdale, USA
A330-223 FPG Amentum PW4168A 979 2009 Now Sale / Lease Eoin Kirby [email protected] +353 16398125
A340-313 AerFin CFM56-5C4 157 1996 Now Sale / Lease R. Rosser [email protected] +442921676296
A340-313 AerFin CFM56-5C4 208 1998 Now Sale Robbie Robson [email protected] +44 (0) 7867488152
B737 300 W ld St A i ti S i CFM56 3C1 28873 N L T G tt t tt @ ld t i ti 972 544 220000B737-300 World Star Aviation Services CFM56-3C1 28873 Now Lease Tommy Guttman [email protected] +972-544-220000
B737-400 World Star Aviation Services CFM56-3C1 24332 Now Lease Tommy Guttman [email protected] +972-544-220000
B737-400 Safair Operations Combi Now ACMI only C. Schoonderwoerd [email protected] +27 11 928 0000
B737-400 Aersale CFM56-3C1 27149 1993 Now Sale / Lease Craig Wright [email protected] +1 305 764 3238
