AP reports that building on strong bookings this summer, American Airlines “said Thursday it will add three new European destinations next summer and revive another international route that it last flew in 2019.” The announcement “comes one day after Delta Air Lines said it will expand service to China later this year.” The news from two of the biggest US carriers “underscores the airline industry’s confidence that its strong recovery from the pandemic will continue and that planes will remain packed.” American said that next summer it “will add flights to Copenhagen, Naples and Nice, France – all new destinations for the airline – from Philadelphia.” It plans to “resume flights between Chicago and Venice that were dropped four years ago.”
Full Story (Associated Press)
Tag: Commercial Aviation
Senior Forecasts Strong Second Half as Demand Increases
Reuters reports that Senior “forecast a strong second half of the year on Monday, after adjusted profits for the first six months doubled, propelled by easing supply chain issues in its aircraft parts business and strong demand in the auto and power unit.” Customers for the engineering firm include The Boeing Company and Airbus, with Senior “benefiting from planemakers ramping up production to meet booming air travel demand.” First half adjusted profits for Senior “doubled to 17.6 million pounds ($22.62 million) on a reported basis.” A statement from the company read, “Planned aircraft build rate increases should lead to higher sales in H2 with supply chain challenges enduring but anticipated to be less severe towards the end of the year.”
Full Story (Reuters)
US Airline Maintenance Surpasses Pre-Pandemic Levels
Aviation Week reported that a new report by investment bank Jeffries says that American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines collectively “spent $2.1 billion on maintenance in the 2023 second quarter (Q2), 47% above the level seen in pre-pandemic Q2 2019.” This reflects an upward trend for the commercial aftermarket with revenue forecast “to be 106% above 2019 levels and engine overhaul demand providing potential upside.” Further capital expenditure revisions “suggest delays in new aircraft deliveries into 2024.” On a trailing twelve-months basis, the three airlines collectively spent $7.7 billion on maintenance, which represents a 31% increase from $5.9 billion in 2019.
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FAA Proposes Regulation Changes Clearing Runway for Electric Aviation
Aviation Week reports that the FAA “is proposing changes to the regulations for light-sport aircraft (LSA) that would allow electric propulsion systems and simplified flight controls, in a move intended to increase their suitability for flight training and personal flying.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
How Airports Can Prepare for Future Electric Aircraft Operations
Aviation Today reports that engineering firm WSP “has taken the lead in assisting airports in the preparations for electric aircraft. With electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles on the horizon, WSP is working closely with clients to integrate these groundbreaking advancements into their master plans.” A significant project currently underway “is WSP’s collaboration with Philadelphia International Airport, where they are incorporating provisions for a state-of-the-art vertiport facility into the airport’s master plan update.” This approach “demonstrates the airport’s commitment to embracing advanced air mobility and ensuring seamless integration of eVTOLs into their operations.” WSP is also “spearheading the master plan for the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, which encompasses the redevelopment of an existing vertiport to accommodate electric aircraft.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)
Airbus Deliveries Reportedly Up 6% for First Half of 2023
Reuters reports industry sources indicated on Thursday that Airbus deliveries “increased by 6% in the first half of the year to reach 316 aircraft. … The European planemaker delivered 72 planes in June, up 20% from 60 in the same month last year and up from 63 in May this year, they added. Airbus, which is targeting 720 deliveries for the year, declined to comment ahead of the publication of data on Friday.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Airbus Outsells Boeing as Both Rack Up Huge Order Totals in Paris
Bloomberg reports that at the Paris Air Show, Airbus came in ahead of The Boeing Company “in the closely watched contest for airplane orders thanks to a massive haul from India that highlights Asia’s growing importance to aircraft demand.” Airbus’ order totals included a “record-setting deal for 500 narrowbody jets from low-cost carrier Indigo, the biggest airline in the world’s most populous country.”
Full Story (Bloomberg)
The State of Electric Aviation in 2023
An article discussing the advancements made in electric aviation in 2023 in Aviation Today reports that the aviation industry is under sharp scrutiny for its environmental impact. As the industry is highly fossil fuel-reliant, it has invested heavily in new electric and hybrid-electric technologies that will make flying more sustainable. Some milestones for this year include Heart Aerospace developing an electric regional airline named the ES-30, which received an order for up to 40 of the aircraft from aircraft lessor Rockton in May. Another new advancement is Eviation’s development of zero-emissions aircraft Alice; aircraft lessor MONTE signed a letter of intent to purchase up to 30 of the aircraft. Both of these aircraft orders “highlight the increasing pressure the industry and its stakeholders feel to roll out cleaner technology.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)
Megawatt Electrical Motor Could Electrify Aviation
CleanTechnica reported that a team of MIT engineers “is now creating a 1-megawatt motor that could be a key stepping-stone toward electrifying larger aircraft.” The team has “designed and tested the major components of the motor, and shown through detailed computations that the coupled components can work as a whole to generate one megawatt of power, at a weight and size competitive with current small aero-engines.” T. Wilson Professor in Aeronautics and the Director of the Gas Turbine Laboratory (GTL) at MIT Zoltan Spakovszky, who leads the project, said, “No matter what we use as an energy carrier – batteries, hydrogen, ammonia, or sustainable aviation fuel – independent of all that, megawatt-class motors will be a key enabler for greening aviation.” Spakovszky and members of his team, along with industry collaborators, “will present their work at a special session of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics – Electric Aircraft Technologies Symposium (EATS) at [AIAA AVIATION Forum this week].”
More Info (Clean Technica)
Scandinavian Airlines to Begin Booking Electric-Powered Flights for 2028
The AP reports that Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) announced travelers “will soon be able to book seats on the carrier’s first commercial flights due to start five years from now in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark aboard electric-powered aircraft.” SAS said that 30 seats will be available on each of the three flights and that the date and location of the departure will be emailed to travelers once decided. Reservations will open online on Friday. SAS CEO Anko van der Werff said, “The fact that we can now invite our passengers to the next major milestone in the future of aviation is a natural continuation of that pioneering spirit and a significant step on our journey towards more sustainable aviation.”
Full Story (Associated Press)