ANA tror på Dreamliner, men satser også på Airbus

Friday, January 30, 2015

All Nippon Airways Plays the Field, Places Orders with Boeing, Airbus

Juliet Van Wagenen

A row of aircraft with ANA livery. Photo: Internetwalkers

[Avionics Today 01-30-2015] All Nippon Airways (ANA) has announced orders for three Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, five 787-800s and an additional seven Airbus A321 aircraft.

The order with Boeing will be valued at approximately $1.4 billion once all commitments are finalized and will make ANA the first airline in Asia to operate the entire family of 787 Dreamliners.

The order for four A321ceo with Sharklets and three A321neo aircraft bolster the firm order for 30 A320neo Family placed in July, bringing that agreement to 37 total aircraft. ANA will also be the first Japanese operator of both Sharklet-equipped A321ceo and A321neo.

Fra den kalde krigen

Tu-126 Moss - Et sted over Barentshavet - Foto: Per Gram

Obamas nye fly - Video

Pentagon Picks Boeing 747-8 As New Presidential Aircraft

Sjekk video her: http://tinyurl.com/ksebn2k
The Pentagon on Wednesday said it had selected the Boeing Co. 747-8 jumbo jet to replace the aircraft that serve as Air Force One for the president of the U.S.

The Pentagon selected a new Boeing aircraft to replace the current Air Force One (pictured). ENLARGE
The Pentagon selected a new Boeing aircraft to replace the current Air Force One (pictured). PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Boeing has yet to secure a contract, but the Pentagon said it was likely to win deals for the aircraft and modifications to carry the president, which experts said include sophisticated communications equipment and other upgrades such as antimissile devices.

The two heavily-modified Boeing Co. 747-200 planes used by the president are due to reach the end of their planned 30-year life in 2017. The U.S. Air Force said last year that it had earmarked $1.65 billion between 2015 and 2019 for two replacement jets, but on Wednesday didn't detail the expected cost or delivery dates for the replacement planes.

The Air Force had previously said it was looking to introduce the planes in 2021.

The Pentagon only evaluated four-engined jets, including the Airbus Group NV A380. Airbus executives have previously said they were unlikely to bid for the contract, though would wait to see the requirements for the plane before making a final decision.

B-747-8 testflyr - Boeing Field okt. 2011 - Foto: Per Gram

The Heritage

(CNN)Imagine putting wings on the White House and getting it to fly around the world.

It's been done. That's basically Air Force One in a nutshell.

Now the Pentagon has announced the next generation of this world-class icon will be a military version of the 747-8. For nearly 30 years, the current jumbo jet Air Force One has been a customized version of the 747-200B. The newer 747-8 is longer and more efficient than its older brother.

Why is a new one necessary? "It is time to upgrade," Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said in a statement Wednesday. The difference between the civilian version and what the President will fly on: the commander in chief gets a plane that's tricked out with top-of-the-line parts and backup systems. And a lot of technology that's -- well -- classified.

Related: What's new about the 747-8?

Let's remind ourselves why the world is so fascinated with this flying technological marvel.

For more than half a century, passengers aboard the U.S. presidential aircraft have been witness to American history.

Consider the fact that all these things happened on an Air Force One:

-- President Kennedy's body was flown to Washington for burial.

-- Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as president.

-- LBJ let a reporter interview him in the plane's stateroom, while dressed only in a towel.

-- The only woman ever to swear-in a U.S. president did so aboard Air Force One.

-- President Richard Nixon became the first American president to visit China, where he historically opened the door to U.S.-Chinese relations.

-- Air Force One served as President George W. Bush's command center during the first hours following the 9/11 attacks.

One of the main goals for the new plane, the Air Force said, will be affordability. Although the plane is designed to be more fuel efficient than its predecessor a new 747-8 lists for around $368 million. Add all the presidential bells and whistles and the sticker price goes north rather quickly.

The 747-8 is made in the U.S., which the Air Forced hinted was a plus.

"The Boeing 747-8 is the only aircraft manufactured in the United States (that), when fully missionized, meets the necessary capabilities," Wednesday's statement said.

The four-engine Airbus A380 -- the world's largest airliner -- which is made in France, was thought by some to be Boeing's only competition for Air Force One.

When will the President get a new jumbo jet? Hard to say. If everything goes smoothly, Boeing likely will work with the Air Force on hammering out a timeframe and production schedule.

In December, Boeing had 36 unfilled orders for 24 passenger versions and 12 freighter models.

From humble beginnings as a small, less than impressively outfitted plane during the FDR administration, to its current jumbo jet status, Air Force One has become a world-class icon representing power and privilege.

Members of Congress, celebrities and advocates clamor for seats on it, to get rare access to the President -- arguably the most powerful person on the planet.

The plane's well-known blue and white color scheme was largely created by legendary industrial designer Raymond Loewy and approved by JFK himself.

Officially, the aircraft is only called Air Force One while a sitting president is aboard. The presidential fleet includes several aircraft, other than the two 747s, that from time to time carry the "Air Force One" call sign.

The presidential helicopter is operated by the Marine Corps and is often seen ferrying the President to and from the South Lawn of the White House. It's called "Marine One." On the rare occasion the President travels by Army aircraft, that is known as "Army One."

By the same logic, aircraft used to carry the vice president are given the call sign "Air Force Two."

Over the years, the various "Air Force Ones" have had their fair share of Hollywood screen roles.

For example, the technological wizardry onboard the present 747s got wide play in the 1997 Harrison Ford action movie "Air Force One," in which the President's jet is hijacked by Russian nationalists.

However, many of the more outlandish gizmos featured in the film owed more to, shall we say, artistic license than to airborne fact.

The plane for example has no escape pod. Nor is it equipped with parachutes -- the massive slipstream created by an aircraft the size of a 747 means they can't be used.

Designed to operate as independently as possible from ground services, the aircraft can fly halfway around the world without refueling.

They carry their own automated baggage loaders as well as built-in front and aft stairs enabling them to operate self-sufficiently at airports and airfields around the world, minimizing security risks.

Capable of in-flight refueling from airborne tankers, manufacturers say the aircraft has "virtually unlimited range" -- its passengers sustained by galleys capable of storing up to 2,000 meals at a time.

The entire aircraft is shielded against the effects of electromagnetic pulse -- a wave of energy generated by the detonation of a nuclear device that can disable unprotected electronics.

It features private accommodation, office space and a workout room for the President, first lady and family; as well as accommodation and offices for support staff and security personnel.

Also on board is a stateroom and conference rooms that can, should it ever be necessary, be converted into a fully functional airborne medical center.

AirAsia - Stadig like mystisk

Pilots Disabled Critical Computers Moments Before AirAsia Crash

(Bloomberg) -- The pilots of AirAsia Bhd. Flight 8501 cut power to a critical computer system that normally prevents planes from going out of control shortly before it plunged into the Java Sea, two people with knowledge of the investigation said.

The action appears to have helped trigger the events of Dec. 28, when the Airbus Group NV A320 climbed so abruptly that it lost lift and it began falling with warnings blaring in the cockpit, the people said. All 162 aboard were killed.

The pilots had been attempting to deal with alerts about the flight augmentation computers, which control the A320's rudder and also automatically prevent it from going too slow. After initial attempts to address the alerts, the flight crew cut power to the entire system, which comprises two separate computers that back up each other, the people said.

While the information helps show how a normally functioning A320's flight-protection system could have been bypassed, it doesn't explain why the pilots pulled the plane into a steep climb, the people said. Even with the computers shut off, the pilots should have been able to fly the plane manually, they said.
Airbus discourages pilots from cutting power to systems because electronics in the highly computerized aircraft are interconnected and turning off one component can affect others, John Cox, a former A320 pilot who is now a safety consultant, said in an interview.

Il-96 får nytt liv på Cuba og i det russiske forsvaret

Russian Military and Government Take Surplus Il-96 Airliners

by Vladimir Karnozov

 - January 26, 2015, 9:39 AM

An Ilyushin Il-96-300 belonging to the Russian government. (Photo: Vladimir Karnozov)

The Russian government is set to procure 14 Ilyushin Il-96s over the next 10 years, thereby ensuring continued production of the four-engined airliner. Eleven will be for the ministry of defense (MoD), including conversions into command and control or aerial refueling aircraft. Three or four will be rebuilds of used Il-96-400T freighters, and the rest will be new production.

The VASO factory in Voronezh has already completed an Ilyushin Il-96-400VPU aerial command and control aircraft for SN FSB, the special assignment department of the Federal Security Service. It is a rebuild of RA-96104, an Il-96-400T freighter built in 2011 and leased to Polyet Airlines by Ilyushin Finance Co. (IFC). The latter repossessed it plus three similar aircraft after the airline ran into financial trouble. The worsening economic situation in the Russian airline industry (due to U.S./EU sanctions and the declining value of the rouble) made it unlikely that IFC could place these aircraft elsewhere. The aircraft resumed flying in November 2014 with a distinctive satellite communication antenna on the upper side of the rear fuselage while keeping remains of Polyet’s livery.

This month, the Russian defense ministry awarded United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) a contract for two Il-96-400TZ aircraft. The suffix Z indicates an aerial refueling role (Z for “zapravshik” meaning “tanker”). The MoD said that the new tankers shall be able to transfer 65 tons of jet fuel at a point 3,500 km from takeoff. They shall be equipped with containerized UPAZ-1 universal apparatus already in use on the Il-78/78M, these being the current standard air tankers of the Russian air force. The larger and longer-range Il-96-400TZs would primarily serve Russian strategic bombers on long-endurance missions hour patrols well beyond national borders.

VASO general manager Sergei Urasov told Russian journalists that two Il-96-400s are destined for the air detachment serving the president of Russia. This already operates four Il-96-300PU aircraft and awaits a fifth late this year. The Il-96-300 version with maximum takeoff weight of 240 to 250 tons preceded the Il-96-400 stretch whose mtow is boosted to 270 tons, and the range to more than 12,000 km.

Meantime, sources in the Russian airline industry indicate that most of the Il-96s previously operated by Aeroflot and other commercial airlines are likely to make their way into Russian government service. Airframes unworthy of a factory rebuild will be dismantled for parts to support operational aircraft. The only possible exception to this rule would be a couple of ex-Aeroflot jets that might find their way to Cubana, the only foreign operator of the type. On December 24, the intergovernmental commission for trade, economic and scientific-research cooperation between Russia and Cuba signed a preliminary contract between IFC and Aviaimport S.A., to place an Il-96-300 with the Cuban national carrier. Delivery is due in this year's second quarter, and will increase Cubana’s fleet to six aircraft.

Open Skies - Spennende utvikling i USA - Norwegian er involvert

U.S. Open Skies Policy Comes Under Scrutiny

Jan 29, 2015Madhu Unnikrishnan | Aviation Daily

Emirates Airline

The U.S. open skies aviation policy is getting full-throated support fromJetBlue President Robin Hayes, even as three of his counterparts representing major U.S. carriers meet with Obama administration officials to discuss possibly amending the policy.

In a letter to the secretaries of State, Commerce and Transportation obtained by The DAILY, Hayes expresses JetBlue’s “unwavering support” for the open skies regime and argues that the airline’s success in serving the Caribbean and Latin America could not have been possible without the deals.

“Similar to the domestic aviation landscape after deregulation, international services, traffic and economic activity have correspondingly grown since the United States began pursuing its open skies policy,” Hayes said. The open skies policy has successfully “sought to eliminate government interference in commercial decisions on routes, capacity and pricing,” he added.

The U.S. has struck open skies deals with more than 100 countries as well as the the EU since 1992, when the first treaty was signed with the Netherlands, State Department data show.

JetBlue is not in a global alliance, but has struck codeshare and interline partnerships with airlines from around the world, Hayes noted.

Defending a Persian Gulf carrier that is among those most-often targeted as reaping too much benefit from open skies, Hayes said the policy has allowed Emirates to expand its reach in the U.S., including to Boston. As a direct result of the Boston-Dubai flight, JetBlue was able to begin connecting Boston-Detroit service, “formerly a monopoly market served only by Delta with high average fares,” Hayes said.

Hayes’s letter coincides with meetings this week being held between the CEOs of American Airlines, Delta and United Airlines and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and other administration officials to discuss modifying open skies. In particular, the CEOs are expected to ask the administration to begin government-to-government negotiations with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to examine alleged subsidies and overcapacity on routes between the U.S. and those countries, people familiar with the matter have told The DAILY.

Open skies agreements have fostered the expansion of the three Gulf carriers—Emirates,Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways—in the U.S., leading to calls by the CEOs of the U.S. major carriers and organized labor for a re-examination of the policy. Their alternative has been dubbed “fair skies,” and it’s not new. Labor, worried that liberalization of air services to Latin America would decimate the U.S. industry, began urging “fair skies” to limit the threat of “flag of convenience” airlines to U.S. jobs in the 1990s (Aviation DAILY, Oct. 12, 1998).

Delta CEO Richard Anderson has made the case for “fair skies” several times in recent years, arguing that U.S. loan guarantees for foreign carriers through the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. (Ex-Im) tilts the playing field away from U.S. carriers (Aviation DAILY, April 12, 2012). “Open skies policies need to be modified to ‘fair skies,’” Anderson said then.

The Gulf carriers deny the subsidy charge and say consumers benefit when airlines compete on product and service. “Open skies exist for a reason,” Etihad CEO James Hogan told The DAILY last month (Aviation DAILY, Dec. 15, 2014).

More recently, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), with the support of the European Cockpit Association (ECA), said government should limit traffic rights for some carriers thought to be receiving illegal state subsidies under its “fair skies” proposal (Aviation DAILY, Dec. 9, 2014).

This week’s high-level discussions and Hayes’s letter occur just when the U.S. and the EU are holding a meeting of the joint committee that administers the implementation of the U.S.-EU open skies agreement (Aviation DAILY, Jan 7). This meeting will feature closed, government-to-government talks on Norwegian Air International’s (NAI) application for a foreign air carrier permit, which has been pending for almost a year. Applications from EU carriers to fly to the U.S. usually are approved in a matter of weeks.

The three major U.S. carriers and organized labor have objected loudly to NAI’s application, arguing that it, domiciled in Ireland, is operating a “flag of convenience” business model that threatens the U.S. airline industry. NAI plans to use an Irish air operator certificate and source crews from there, elsewhere in the EU, the U.S. and possibly Asia—a combination that violates the open skies agreement, NAI’s opponents say. 

Stor og viktig nyhet vedr. oppkjøp av aksjer

Qatar Airways Buys Stake In IAG

Jan 30, 2015Jens Flottau | AWIN First

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In what is by far the most high profile investment made by any of three Gulf carriers, Qatar Airways has bought a 9.99% stake in International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG), the parent of British Airways, Iberia and Vueling.

The airline said in a statement that it “may consider increasing its stake further over time although this is not currently intended to exceed 9.99%.” Qatar Airways pointed out that non-EU shareholders in IAG cannot have a combined majority share in the group. “IAG represents an excellent opportunity to further develop our westwards strategy,” Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker said. “Having joined the Oneworld alliance it makes sense for us to work more closely together in the near term and we look forward to forging a long-term relationship.”

IAG’s Chief Executive Willie Walsh said he was “delighted” about the investment and that “we will talk to them about what opportunities exist to work more closely together and further IAG’s ambitions as the leading global airline group.”

The investment makes Qatar Airways IAG’s largest single shareholder. The stake is worth around GBP1.1 billion ($1.7 billion) at today’s share price.

Gulf carriers have already put billions into European carriers, but they have so far limited themselves to secondary and economically struggling airlines. This is the first time that one of the three big European airline groups – IAG, Lufthansa and Air France-KLM – has attracted investment from one of the three Gulf carriers – Qatar, Emirates andEtihad.

The deal and its later iterations could very well have a profound impact on the European airline landscape, deepening the differences between highly profitable IAG and the much worse-off Lufthansa and Air France-KLM. The investment also raises the question of whether Lufthansa and Air France-KLM can avoid similar deals with Etihad and Emirates in the longer term, provided the two other Gulf carriers would consider an investment.

Both Lufthansa and Air France-KLM may look for capital increases in the not too distant future given their requirements to fund corporate restructuring and fleet renewals. Air France-KLM entertains some limited cooperation (code-sharing) with Etihad between Abu Dhabi and Paris that has been the cause of speculation in the past that it may be the basis for more. Emirates and Lufthansa talked about an alliance about 10 years ago, but the discussions ended with no result because Lufthansa at the time felt it did not need to cooperate.

For Air France-KLM and Lufthansa to shift gears and join forces with Gulf carriers, major cultural change would be needed. The two have been fierce in their opposition to their new competitors, trying to stop them from gaining more traffic rights and criticizing them for what they perceive as unfair government support.

IAG has taken a very different approach. Willie Walsh has always made clear that he has “no problem whatsoever with the growth of Gulf carriers” and that he admires their strategies and product quality. He forged ties with Al Baker and supported him in his coup at the 2011 International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting in Singapore, when Al Baker fought for a seat on the board of governors in opposition to the former IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani and Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan.

Walsh was also the driving force behind inviting Qatar Airways into the Oneworld alliance, an approach that has not been welcomed by all alliance members.

IAG – consisting of British Airways, Iberia and Vueling for now – and Qatar Airways operate route networks that are highly complementary at first glance. However, many of Qatar’s connecting services through Doha compete with nonstop British Airways flights to Asia. Given that the Qatar Airways business model is built on connecting traffic rather than its own home market, Asian traffic could become a source of tension between IAG and its new shareholder.

An interesting side-aspect of the deal is IAG’s offer to buy Aer Lingus in which Etihad holds a stake of around 5%. If that takeover goes through, Aer Lingus would not only become part of IAG, but also move away from Etihad’s sphere of influence into Qatar’s.

Qatar Airways has so far not been very active in European investments. It once held a 35% stake in Cargolux, but sold it again at the end of 2012. Al Baker was also close to buying a 49% stake in now-defunct Spanair, but walked away from the deal at the last minute in early 2012.

By contrast, Etihad has been much more active: the airline owns 29% of Air Berlin, 49% of Alitalia, 5% of Aer Lingus and 49% of Air Serbia. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier is also still in talks with Darwin Airline to buy a 33% stake, but that deal has hit significant regulatory hurdles.

Before Etihad bought the Air Berlin stake in 2011, Emirates was close to investing in the German airline, but ultimately decided against the move.