Lion Air and Boeing make history by finalizing an order of upto 380 B737s

Boeing and Jakarta-based Lion Air have finalized a firm order for 201 737 MAXs and 29 Next-Generation 737-900ERs (extended range). The agreement, first announced last November in Indonesia, also includes purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes. With orders for 230 airplanes valued at $22.4 billion at list prices, this deal is the largest commercial airplane order ever in Boeing’s history by both dollar value and total number of airplanes. Lion Air will also acquire purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes. Lion Air will be the first airline in Asia to fly the 737 MAX and is the global launch customer for the 737 MAX.

Boeing delivers Soman Air's first B737-900ER

Boeing has delivered the first Next-Generation 737-900ER with the new Boeing Sky Interior to Tajikistan-based Somon Air, making it the first Central Asian carrier to operate an airplane featuring Boeing's innovative interior. The delivery is also Somon Air's first direct purchase of a 737. "This new interior will set Somon Air apart from other regional operators by bringing a new, unmatched flying experience to our valued customers," said Jamshed Rahmonberdiev, chief executive officer, Somon Capital, which owns Somon Air. "Reliability and fuel efficiency are key considerations and the 737-900ER will contribute to our financial performance as well as help us maintain our high standards of safety in accordance with international air transportation standards."

"We congratulate Somon Air on becoming the first carrier in Central Asia to offer the enhanced 737 cabin experience to its passengers," said Marty Bentrott, vice president of Sales for Middle East, Russia and Central Asia, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We look forward to playing a role in Somon's future as it continues to expand its network." The Boeing 737-900ER is the newest member of the Next-Generation 737 airplane family and is also the highest capacity, longest-range airplane in Boeing's single-aisle fleet. The 737 Boeing Sky Interior takes the passenger experience to a whole new level with new overhead bins, LED lighting, new designs for window reveals and sculpted sidewalls.

As part of Boeing's Humanitarian Delivery Flights program, Boeing partnered with Somon Air, the U.S. Department of State's Humanitarian Program and Project HOPE to transport medical supplies to the country's capital Dushanbe. The relief shipment of 2,852 pounds of medical supplies will improve the quality of medical care for the less-privileged in Tajikistan and help alleviate the shortage of medicines needed for oncology, psychiatric health and in the treatment of infectious diseases. "Boeing, through its Global Corporate Citizenship (GCC) organization, supports humanitarian efforts around the world in partnership with nongovernmental agencies and non-profits like Project HOPE," said Liz Warman, director of GCC for the Northwest Region. "Our Humanitarian Delivery Flights program is another way we can continue leveraging our resources to help those in need."

UTair finalizes orders with Boeing

Boeing and UTair Aviation, Russia have signed an order for 40 Boeing Next-Generation 737 airplanes, comprised of seven 737-900ERs and 33 737-800s. The agreement was previously announced at the 2011 Paris Air Show. The order is valued at $3.8 billion at list prices. "UTair is a wonderful business partner with Boeing. We are truly proud of the airline's history and accomplishments in Russian commercial aviation. The Next-Generation 737s with the Boeing Sky Interior will enhance their network and customer appeal for both domestic and international routes," said Marty Bentrott, vice president of Sales for Russia, Central Asia and Middle East, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. All 40 UTair airplanes will be delivered with the new interior that offers unprecedented passenger appeal and comfort with such features as spacious cabin headroom, overhead bins that disappear into the ceiling yet carry more bags and LED lighting that brings any color into the cabin.

Airbus sees Asia as recession buffer

Demand for new planes from China and Asia will provide Airbus with a buffer for growth in the event of a global recession resulting from Europe's debt crisis, the company's chief operating officer said on Thursday.  "So far we have 1,000 net orders (from Europe) at the end of August and the air traffic is still good," Fabrice Bregier said.  "However, we might well expect some adjustments in the future. This is very different from 2008-2009. In this case we see a problem of some European states with excessive debt but the real economy is very good," he said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Dalian.  The euro area debt crisis has contributed to increasing concerns in financial markets that the world economy could slip into another recession. Bregier said it may be a "challenge" to avoid another recession that would bring about less air.

Demand for new planes from China and Asia will provide Airbus with a buffer for growth in the event of a global recession resulting from Europe's debt crisis, the company's chief operating officer said on Thursday. "So far we have 1,000 net orders (from Europe) at the end of August and the air traffic is still good," Fabrice Bregier said. "However, we might well expect some adjustments in the future. This is very different from 2008-2009. In this case we see a problem of some European states with excessive debt but the real economy is very good," he said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Dalian.

The euro area debt crisis has contributed to increasing concerns in financial markets that the world economy could slip into another recession.
Bregier said it may be a "challenge" to avoid another recession that would bring about less air traffic and slower growth for airlines. But he said he expected growth in Asia and especially China to provide a suitable growth buffer for Airbus. "If there is a big recession there will be less traffic and so the airlines will not generate the cash to buy new aircraft," Bregier said. "Now we are in the global market, so we don't sell exclusively to Europe or America and in our order book our biggest share comes from Asia, and China plays a big role."
Bregier said Airbus will deliver its first superjumbo to mainland carrier China Southern Airlines in a few weeks and the aircraft will be operational in November.

Boeing said on September 7 that China will need 5,000 commercial aircraft worth USD$600 billion over the next 20 years, a 25 percent increase on the company's previous estimate. Airbus, which currently has a 45 percent market share in China, is due to publish its global forecasts on September 20. Bregier said the firm's market share in China will exceed 50 percent in the next few years.
"We plan to deliver about 90 aircraft in China next year and about 100 this year," he said. In June, China placed an order for 88 Airbus A320 planes putting aside a bubbling trade row with Europe over a proposed emissions scheme as it sought to fuel economic growth. The deal, worth USD$7.5 billion at list price and with deliveries scheduled for 2012-15, was signed by China Aviation Supplies and Industrial Commercial Bank of China.

Although China plans to start competing with Airbus and Boeing by building its own narrow-body passenger jets from the second half of this decade, it has ordered large numbers of Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s to feed traffic growth.
Airbus began assembling planes for the Chinese market at a factory in Tianjin, outside Beijing, in 2009. Bregier said he expects to make inroads into the China market with sales of the A380 superjumbo aircraft. "I think they (other Chinese airlines) will be very interested in A380s when they see the success of China Southern... We expect other top players in China to progressively order A380s," he said. "The trend is clear, China will need bigger aircraft in the future and so we think with the A380, we really have a trump".traffic and slower growth for airlines. But he said he expected growth in Asia and especially China to provide a suitable growth buffer for Airbus. "If there is a big recession there will be less traffic and so the airlines will not generate the cash to buy new aircraft," Bregier said. "Now we are in the global market, so we don't sell exclusively to Europe or America and in our order book our biggest share comes from Asia, and China plays a big role."

Bregier said Airbus will deliver its first superjumbo to mainland carrier China Southern Airlines in a few weeks and the aircraft will be operational in November.  Boeing said on September 7 that China will need 5,000 commercial aircraft worth USD$600 billion over the next 20 years, a 25 percent increase on the company's previous estimate. Airbus, which currently has a 45 percent market share in China, is due to publish its global forecasts on September 20. Bregier said the firm's market share in China will exceed 50 percent in the next few years.  "We plan to deliver about 90 aircraft in China next year and about 100 this year," he said. In June, China placed an order for 88 Airbus A320 planes putting aside a bubbling trade row with Europe over a proposed emissions scheme as it sought to fuel economic growth.

The deal, worth USD$7.5 billion at list price and with deliveries scheduled for 2012-15, was signed by China Aviation Supplies and Industrial Commercial Bank of China. Although China plans to start competing with Airbus and Boeing by building its own narrow-body passenger jets from the second half of this decade, it has ordered large numbers of Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s to feed traffic growth. Airbus began assembling planes for the Chinese market at a factory in Tianjin, outside Beijing, in 2009. Bregier said he expects to make inroads into the China market with sales of the A380 superjumbo aircraft. "I think they (other Chinese airlines) will be very interested in A380s when they see the success of China Southern... We expect other top players in China to progressively order A380s," he said. "The trend is clear, China will need bigger aircraft in the future and so we think with the A380, we really have a trump".

China signs for 88 new Airbus 320 aircrafts

China placed an order for 88 Airbus A320 planes on Tuesday, putting a bubbling trade row with Europe over a proposed emissions scheme aside as it tries to to fuel economic growth. Airbus said on Tuesday it had signed the deal with China Aviation Supplies and Industrial Commerce Bank of China. The deal, worth USD$7.5 billion at list prices and with deliveries scheduled for 2012-15, was signed by Airbus president Tom Enders and CAS President Li Hai during a visit to Germany by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. The visit came days after industry sources said China had delayed the high-profile announcement of a USD$3.8 billion order for 10 Airbus A380 superjumbo jets at the Paris Air Show to protest over European Union emissions trading rules. Under plans to include international aviation in its carbon market from next year, the EU would require all airlines flying to Europe to buy permits for each tonne of carbon dioxide they emit above a certain cap.

While China continues to put the brakes on lucrative orders of European wide-body aircraft, industry analysts said it seemed as though China was pulling back from a full-blown trade spat to protect economic growth. Although it plans to start competing with Airbus and Boeing by building its own narrow-body passenger jets from the second half of this decade, China is still ordering large volumes of Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s to feed huge traffic growth. Ordering A320s is also in the country's interest as Airbus began assembling planes for the Chinese market at a factory in Tianjin, outside Beijing, in 2009. While China typically schedules aircraft orders to coincide with political visits, the deals can be difficult to break down. In November 2010, China and France announced 102 Airbus orders during a visit to Paris by President Hu Jintao, but the manufacturer said only 66 involved new contracts. In January, China announced final approval for 200 Boeing aircraft worth USD$19 billion in a boost for President Barack Obama as Hu visited the United States. Again, analysts said the deals had been in the works and accounted for by investors for some time.

Tuesday's orders were all new and firm, Airbus claimed.

Paris air show aircraft orders' list

The orders confirmed by Airbus and Boeing as it stands at Paris air show.

Company Firm Value Provisional Value

Airbus 312 $30.2 bln 318 $29.5 bln

Boeing 47 $7.5 bln 94 $14.9 bln



Last year at Farnborough Airshow, Airbus unveiled net new orders for 130 planes worth over $13 billion, and Boeing 103 new orders worth over $10 billion.

Between them, they racked up a combined 176 provisional orders worth over $19 billion



AIRBUS ORDERS BY CUSTOMER:
FIRM ORDERS

Company No of aircraft Type Value

LAN 20 A320neo $1.8 bln

IndiGo 30 A320 $2.5 bln

IndiGo 150 A320neo $13.7 bln

TransAsia 6 A321neo $0.6 bln

Air Lease Corp 11 A330 $2.4 bln

Air Lease Corp 1 A321 $0.1 bln

SAS 30 A320neo $2.7 bln

GECAS 60 A320neo $5.5 bln

Saudi Arabian 4 A330 $0.9 bln



PROVISIONAL ORDERS

Company No of aircraft Type Value

Alafco 30 A320neo $2.7 bln

Republic 40 A320neo $3.6 bln

Republic 40 A319neo $3.4 bln

Avianca 18 A320 $1.5 bln

Avianca 33 A320neo $3.0 bln

Alafco 6 A350-900 $1.6 bln

Garuda 15 A320 $1.3 bln

Garuda 10 A320neo $0.9 bln

JetBlue 40 A320neo $3.6 bln

CIT 50 A320neo $4.6 bln

Air Lease Corp 36 A320neo $3.3 bln



BOEING ORDERS BY CUSTOMER:

FIRM ORDERS

Company No of aircraft Type Value

*Malaysian 10 737-800 $0.8 bln

*Aeroflot 8 777-300ER $2.3 bln

Norwegian 3 787 $0.6 bln

Norwegian 15 737-800 $1.2 bln

Mongolian 1 767-300ER $0.16bln

Mongolian 2 737-800 $0.16bln

Unidentified 2 747-8 $0.6 bln

*Qatar Airways 6 777-300ER $1.7 bln * - orders were previously in Boeing order book but customer was unidentified



PROVISIONAL ORDERS

Company No of aircraft Type Value

UTair Aviation 7 737-900ER $0.6 bln

UTair Aviation 33 737-800 $2.7 bln

GECAS 8 777-300ER $2.3 bln

GECAS 2 747-8F $0.6 bln

Unidentified 15 747-8 $4.8 bln

Air Lease Corp 20 737 $1.6 bln

Air Lease Corp 5 777 $1.4 bln

Air Lease Corp 4 787-9 $0.9 bln

Boeing bags an additional 10 B737-800NG order from Malaysian Airlines

Boeing and Kuala Lumpur-based Malaysia Airlines today announced the airline has exercised an option to purchase 10 additional Next-Generation 737-800s. The order is valued at more than $800 million at current list prices. The airline still has purchase rights for an additional 10 Next-Generation 737-800s remaining from their initial 2008 contract. Today's announcement was made at the Paris Air Show by Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President of Sales & Marketing Marlin Dailey and Malaysia Airlines Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Tengku Dato' Sri Azmil Zahruddin Raja Abdul Aziz. His Excellency Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal, the Malaysian Ambassador to France, was also in Paris for the signing ceremony. "Today we celebrate Malaysia Airlines as key member of the Next-Generation 737 family of operators and we welcome this occasion to strengthen our long-term relationship with a valued partner," Dailey said. "The selection of the Next-Generation 737 to support the airline's strategic fleet modernization plan reinforces the superior economics of the most fuel efficient single-aisle airplane operating in today's market."

Malaysia's 737s are the first in Asia to sport the passenger-pleasing Boeing Sky Interior and are fitted with Blended Winglets, which improve fuel efficiency by up to four percent, increase flying range, and reduce CO2 emissions and takeoff noise. "The option we exercised today marks another step in Malaysia Airlines' mission to strengthen and build upon the airline's award-winning service and passenger value, efforts that support the company's business transformation strategy to profitable operation," said Tengku Azmil. "Boeing's Next-Generation 737, with its economic advantages, including unmatched fuel efficiency, is the right airplane to support our business and our customers." The digitally designed Next-Generation 737 is the most technologically advanced airplane family in the single-aisle market. The 737-800, which can seat up to 189 passengers, is 771 kilograms (1,700 pounds) lighter, can fly 583 kilometers (315 nautical miles) farther while carrying 12 more passengers than the competing model. Malaysia Airlines, with a 64-year history as the national carrier of Malaysia, operates a mixed fleet of short- and long-haul airplanes, including 747 passenger and freighter, 777, 737-800s and Classic 737 airplanes. The airline flies nearly 45,000 passengers daily to more than 100 destinations worldwide.

Big orders help AirBus

Airbus said on Monday it had won an order for 60 narrow-body A320neo planes worth $5.1 billion at list prices from the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric. Analysts expect narrow-body planes, the backbone of fast-growing budget airlines, to be a key battleground for orders between Europe's Airbus and U.S. rival Boeing at the biennial air show. Airbus believes it has the upper hand with the A320neo, whose more efficient engines save airlines 15 percent in fuel costs, according to the company. Engine maker Pratt & Whitney boss David Hess said on Monday he expected an astounding amount of demand for the A320neo. Sources close to the matter said Airbus was also likely to report an order on Monday for 30 A320neos worth about $2.4 billion at list prices from Scandinavian airline SAS.

Qatar Airways said it hoped to conclude a deal this week to buy A320neo planes as well. Boeing conceded it might lose some customers while it makes a decision about whether to re-engine or redesign its competing 737 narrow-body plane, although it was confident of winning out over the longer term. It also upstaged Airbus with successes in other plane sizes and booked the first big order of the show for six 777-300ER wide-body jets worth $1.7 billion at list prices from Gulf carrier Qatar Airways. Analysts expect Middle Eastern and Asian airlines to dominate the buying as they seek to boost transport links for their booming economies. The Boeing deal came a day after Airbus unveiled plans to boost the range of its future competing A350, of which Qatar is the biggest customer.

Paris air show - orders soar

Airbus faced the unexpected and daunting task on Monday of delivering a marketing blow to rival Boeing and maintaining momentum for a revamped jet with its two flagship planes grounded at the Paris Air Show. The European planemaker has targeted an order surge worth tens of billions of dollars, but was left reeling as the world's largest aviation event was jinxed by a series of mishaps including a taxiway collision involving the A380 superjumbo. The right-hand wing-tip of a test plane for the world's largest jetliner, with a wingspan of almost 80 meters (yards), scraped a building at Le Bourget airport on Sunday and was withdrawn from the air show's traditional flying displays.

A second aircraft, the delayed European A400M airlifter, was also withdrawn from air display after a gearbox problem but will be allowed to perform in a flypast when French President Nicolas Sarkozy inaugurates the biennial event on Monday. The A380 collision caused dismay hours after the arrival of its new rival Boeing's elongated 747-8 superjumbo which is showing its distinctive silhouette abroad for the first time. The latest version of the legendary 747 jumbo touched down in orange and red "sunrise" livery symbolizing the importance of Asia, whose economic growth is set to dominate aviation in coming years starting with this week's air show. Industry sources expect some sales of both the A380 and 747-8 during the June 20-26 event but the main joust for market share concerns narrow-body, medium-haul 150-seat planes.

The air show could bring two record deals on successive days as Airbus tries to woo buyers for a revamped A320neo with more efficient engines, saving airlines 15 percent in fuel costs. "We clearly believe in the business case and the orders you are going to see at the show are going to be astounding," said David Hess, chief executive of engine maker Pratt & Whitney. Buyers are already camped out in Paris hotels to negotiate the final details of major deals but are aware that Airbus has staked a lot on winning a slew of orders for the A320neo at the Paris show, and some are said to be digging in their heels. A $16 billion provisional deal from IndiGo to buy 180 A320neo passenger jets, first announced in January, was mired in further negotiations that could spill beyond the air show. The deal if finalized would set a record for the number of planes in one transaction. But sources say if all goes to plan it is set to be eclipsed by a 200-plane order being fine-tuned between Airbus and Malaysia's AirAsia.

Demand for aircraft is on a sharp rebound driven by demand from Asia's rapidly growing airports and the Middle East. "Those two markets will enjoy at least one-third if not more of the demand increase for global air traffic in the next decade," said Philip Toy, a managing director at Alix Partners. The Airbus A320neo has also benefited from airline concerns about fuel costs. Boeing said on Sunday it would decide by end-year whether to upgrade its 737 with new engines from about 2016, as Airbus has done, or build an all-new jet in 2019. "They will sell hundreds but it is hard to tell what is gross and what is net, what is a conversion from an earlier order. There are myriad complications," said Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia said of the A320neo.

Orders are likely to include a confirmation of an $8 billion 100-plane order from leasing giant ILFC and another plane order for both Airbus and Boeing planes another big lessor, GECAS. But it could be Boeing that grabs attention on day one of the show with a sale of 777 wide-body airplanes to Qatar Airways -- a reminder that the two planemakers are battling for market share on a second front after Airbus revamped its A350. Russia and China will flex their muscles as potential rivals to Airbus and Boeing, especially during a Tuesday visit by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and some analysts expect surprise sales. But Western planemakers say it will be some time before newcomers mount a serious challenge in civil aerospace.

Jet Airways sees revenue up by 15 - 20 percent in the next 5 years

Indian carrier Jet Airways expects to grow its domestic revenue by 15 percent and international revenue by up to 20 percent over the next five years, the chairman of India's largest airline said on Thursday. The airline expects higher demand driven by increasing affluence in Asia's third-largest economy, but has no plans of placing big aircraft orders, Naresh Goyal said. A day after smaller rival IndiGo placed a USD$15.6 billion order to buy 180 planes from Airbus in the largest jet deal in commercial aviation history, Goyal said Jet is following a "relatively modest" aircraft acquisition strategy. "Aircraft orders are not a problem... It's the easiest thing to do; but, can your balance sheet support it?" he asked.

Many carriers are growing their fleet as demand booms in India, where the economy is growing at nearly 9 percent. Jet Airways has firmed up an order pipeline of 29 Boeing 737s for purchase, and another 10 Airbus A330s for lease. The deliveries for both types of aircraft are expected to start in April 2012 and would continue over three years, Goyal said. Jet has placed another order for 10 Boeing 787s, deliveries of which are seen starting in fiscal year 2015, he said. Low-cost carrier and smaller rival SpiceJet in November agreed to buy 30 Nextgen turboprop aircraft from Canada's Bombardier for USD$915 million. "We have to be very careful in adding capacity... We are not running after market share and have to ensure that the bottom-line is alright," he said. Jet has added capacity of 8 to 10 percent over the last three years, he said. While passenger traffic in India grew 19 percent in the year to November last year, the country only has 400 commercial planes for a population of about 1.2 billion. By comparison, China has 2,600 planes. Jet Airways has no plans to hedge its jet fuel requirements and expects to improve its operating margins. "As we grow, our cost of operations per unit (aircraft) will go down hence we hope to increase our profitability," Goyal said.

Boeing reached 2010 delivery targert

Boeing recorded 462 commercial airplane deliveries in 2010, meeting company guidance during the year. Boeing posted 530 net commercial orders for the year as air carriers transition from economic recovery to expansion. Boeing Commercial Airplanes maintains a strong order base of 3,443 unfilled orders.With 376 deliveries in 2010, the Next-Generation 737 set a company delivery record for the second consecutive year. The 737 is the industry's most in-demand airplane with 486 net orders as carriers continue to rely on its superior economics, versatility and continuous performance enhancements.The 777 led Boeing's twin-aisle programs with 74 deliveries and 46 net orders in 2010 as the airplane continues to rank at the top of operator, investor and frequent traveler polls for its efficiency and passenger comfort.

During 2010, Boeing announced a series of production rate increases throughout its product line to meet increasing airplane demand from carriers worldwide. The Next-Generation 737 production rate will grow to 35 per month in early 2012 and 38 per month the second quarter of 2013. The 777 production rate will rise from five to seven per month in mid-2011 and grow to 8.3 per month in the first quarter of 2013. The 747-8 Freighter is slated for first delivery mid-year and first delivery of the 747-8 Intercontinental is planned for late 2011. The 787 Dreamliner continues in flight test. Boeing expects to provide 2011 commercial airplane delivery guidance when the company releases year-end earnings on January 26th.

EasyJet adds 15 more A320 to its fleet

UK's low-cost carrier EasyJet has confirmed an order for 15 Airbus A320s and switched a deal for the delivery of 20 A319s to the larger A320 to help it gain share in the European market. Sources also said on Tuesday it had secured options over a further 33 A320 aircraft, taking its total number of options to 42, and strengthening its relationship with the European manufacturer. It currently operates 185 A319 aircraft and eight Boeing 737-700 aircraft. EasyJet said it had been granted a substantial price concession from Airbus and its engine maker on the total list price of about USD$1.1 billion for the 15 A320s. EasyJet, which switched alliance from Boeing to Airbus in 2002, said it continued to maintain a productive dialogue with the US manufacturer on its current and future programmes.

China's Okay Airlines has ordered 10 Next Generation B737's

Boeing today announced at the Farnborough International Airshow an order with Okay Airways, the first privately owned airline in China, for 10 Next-Generation 737-800s. The order, valued at $800 million at average list prices, was previously recorded on Boeing's Orders & Deliveries website as an unidentified customer. Okay Airways, an all-Boeing operator, obtained Civil Aviation Administration of China's (CAAC) approval and started commercial operation in March 2005. Okay Airways is headquartered in Beijing and uses Tianjin Binhai International Airport as its fleet base.

It currently operates four 737s, including three 737-800s and one 737-300 converted freighter, on trunk routes with direct flights to more than 20 domestic destinations. Okay Airways also will lease four 737-800s this year, and plans to expand its fleet by leasing five 737-800s each year prior to the new delivery.

"Okay Airways has been a dedicated operator of Boeing 737s since it was established. Boeing is honored that 10 more 737-800s will join Okay Airways' fleet to support its strategy in this fast-growing market," said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales & Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We look forward to continuing our partnership with Okay Airways, which started with the Next-Generation 737-800."

Boeing announced in June that it will increase production rates on the Next-Generation 737 program to 35 airplanes per month in 2012 to meet continued strong demand for the airplane. The Next-Generation 737 family has more than 2,000 unfilled orders from customers around the world. The Boeing 737-800 is the best-selling version of the successful Next-Generation 737 family.

Malayasians' order with Boeing

Aviation Partners Boeing Blended Winglets will be installed on all 35 of the 737-800 aircraft that Malaysia's national carrier, Malaysia Airlines, has on order with Boeing. The first aircraft will deliver later this year, with deliveries continuing into 2013."We are very pleased that Malaysia Airlines decided to install Blended Winglets on its entire fleet of 737-800 aircraft," says Aviation Partners Boeing CEO John Reimers. "This commitment assures they are operating the most efficient aircraft available with greater flexibility to meet the changing needs of the industry in Southeast Asia." Malaysia Airlines already has experience with Blended Winglets on a small fleet of leased 737-800 aircraft. APB's operational performance claims were verified in the daily operations of the aircraft and led to the fleet-wide investment decision. "We hope this is the first of many orders from Malaysia Airlines," says Reimers. "Blended Winglets will differentiate them from the aggressive low cost market in the region and provide a visible cost advantage over their competition."Blended Winglets are ideal to address the challenging operating conditions in Southeast Asia as they provide takeoff weight capability improvements of up to 6 tonnes from high altitude, hot and obstacle-limited airports while dramatically reducing fuel and engine maintenance costs on normal operations.

GE Capital services buys 40 B737's

GE Capital Aviation Services says it has ordered 40 Boeing 737-800 planes for $3 billion at list prices.

The deal announced at the Farnborough International Airshow on Monday follows orders for other Airbus and Boeing commercial aircraft from Emirates airline and newly created leasing company Air Lease Corp. — raising hopes the aviation market is improving after a two-year downturn.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker says his company has ordered three business jets from Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. In a press conference Monday, he announced an order for two Global 5000 aircraft and a last minute addition a Challenger 605. The deal is worth $122 million at list prices, although airlines often negotiate substantial discounts. Al Baker says Qatar Airways is still talking to Bombardier about buying its C-Series commercial jet, but was not able to conclude a deal at the airshow.

Kin's of the victim of Mangalore crash get legal help from US man

He is not a lawyer, not even an air crash investigator and he makes no claims to being an insurance expert. But world over, grief stricken families of air crash victims from the remotest corners of an Amazonian village to a Russian town know him by name, and share with him a "tremendous rapport", as he himself puts it and sometimes, even lunch.

He is George Hatcher, a self-described air crash consultant and adviser who helps families take on colossal aircraft companies or airlines in US courts for damages after the loss of a dear one in a crash. Many families have won millions of dollars in settlements, he says and for many, the battle is still on. Hatcher, at 67, made his first ever trip to India last weekend and headed straight to the May 22 Air India crash site in Mangalore. He met families of the victims, spoke to young widows of Gulf-based Indian workmen even as their tiny tots played in the same room and convinced at least 10 of them that they deserved more than the mandatory compensation the airline was bound, under an international treaty, to give them. With him was Nishit Dhruva, partner of a Mumbai-based law firm M Dhruva & Partners who has joined hands with three large US law firms and setting the stage to sue Boeing, the American aircraft maker, in US courts for the biggest Indian air crash in decades.

Hatcher told, "You are a fare paying passenger. You need to be paid a compensation after any crash. The question is how much." That's where he comes in."I am just a bridge between lawyers and the clients," he said. But he doesn't knock on victims' doors unless he is sought. It is law firms that seek his help. In the US, law forbids law firms from chasing victims for the first 45 days after a tragedy.In India, now, Hatcher says he feels the families of the 170-odd victims, many of whom are poor, deserve to be placed on an equal footing to seek better damages.In India, though, he said Air India had a good flight record, experts in the field are pointing fingers at "a pilot error". But some, he added, "suggest turbine problems". With it being a US plane, what is being looked at is "multiple culpability" as this is the third 737 800 going down in recent times.As Hatcher says, "It is not enough to pay out one pay cheque, clear the wreckage, submit a report and say that we are even. Assess each victim based on parameters, including age, education, job, income, number of dependents, pain and suffering."

Exapt pilot's medical reqirments in India - a cause of worry

The crash of the Air India Express flight IX 812 at Mangalore International airport has brought the DGCA's medical requirement for expat pilots in the country is under the scanner. It seems like the Indian pilots are put under a very strict medical requirement to fly for airliners, on the other hand DGCA does not force the expat pilots to prove the medical fitness at the same standards as the Indian pilots are asked to do.
There have been few incidents involving expat pilots which is scary. There was a French national who was flying with Jet Airways and had collapsed at his hotel room just after his duty, in another terrifying case a first officer had to take control of the flight as the expat captain had become unconscious all in a sudden, lucky that the first officer was quick to act and he had landed the aircraft safely.
In another incident involving a South African pilot were he was arrested by the cops at Dubai, his wife had claimed that the pilot was suffering from hyper tension and diabetes which pose a high risk for pilots.
Was it something like this that caused the fatal Mangalore crash? Is DGCA gonna be sticking with the same relaxed requirement for expat pilots? Will there be another crash same as the Mangalore, if the captain's health had played a vital role in this crash. Will these questions be answered by the DGCA?

Crew highly experienced on flight 812 - AI chief

What went wrong with the Air India Express flight IX 812 is still a mystery as the DGCA has started probing into the accident. Expertise from Boeing and the NTSB  has been sought to help the investigation. There have been rumors that the pilots did have enough training to fly into the tricky runway of Mangalore. The Air India chief had called for press meeting earlier this evening and had clarified that those were just rumors.
He claimed that the Cockpit crew had enough rest as per the DGCA regulations and he had proof for the same. He also dismissed that the pilots did not have enough training, he said that the Captain had flown in and out of Mangalore several times and infact he had completed 19 successful landings at the same runway and the first officer had made 66 landings in the same runway. The crew was highly experienced, the Captain had more than 10,000 flying hours under his belt and the first officer had more than 3,000 hours of flying experience.

He refused to comment on the speculation that the aircraft might have touched down way beyond the touch down zone which made it hard for the crew to stop it within the available runway. He has asked the media "not to speculate any such thing as the investigation team is probing into the accident and lets wait patiently for them to come up with the cause of accident." The Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) will play a vital role in finding the cause for the fatal crash killing more than 150 with just 7 survivors, as the FDR can give important information on what the aircraft systems were doing during the final seconds and the CVR could explain what the crew was going through before the tragedy. This could explain was it a human error or a mechanical/electrical or any sort of catastrophic failure that had caused the crash.  

Air India cancel orders with Boeing

Air India the national carrier of India wants to cancel the order of three Boeing 777-300ER. But it is learn t that Boeing has offered Air India 10 single aisle aircraft's in lue of three long haul aircraft's, Boeing is ready to deliver 10 B737-800 instead of the three B777's. Differences in the pricing remain the main obstacle between Boeing and Air India, as AI wants the aircraft's to be priced at a post dated price when the orders were initially placed. AI had placed an order of 68 aircraft's with Boeing in 2005  which includes 23 B777, (8 B777-200LR and 15 B777-300ER) 18 B737-800, 27 B787-800. Air India has already taken deliveries of  18 B737-800, 8 B777-200LR and of the 15 B777-300ER 10 aircraft's have been delivered and the remaining 5 were about to be delivered over a period of next 15 months. It is estimated that Air India will have to pay Rs22,000 crore for aircraft deliveries this year, were it paid Rs 12,000 crore last year.

Pilot error cause for the 2007 Cameroon crash

Investigators have found the probable cause for the May 2007 crash of a Kenyan Airways B737 in Cameroon. The aircraft with 114 passengers on board crashed on a stormy night just after take off from Douala en route to Nairobi. The investigation team has ruled that the aircraft crashed due to loss of control of the crew due to spatial orientation. The report said that the after a long slow roll during which no instrument scanning was done by the crew and with no external visual reference in a dark night the aircraft crashed. The report said that the crew had failed to notice that the aircraft was banking slowly to the right as it gained altitude and just as the alarm sounded to warn the crew the Captain grabbed the controls and made erratic movements of the control column, putting the aircraft into a steeper bank of more than 90 degrees. The CVR had the final moments of the cockpit in which the first officer was calling 'left left captain' as it just hit the ground.