03 Dec 2019

North America Newsletter 3 December

Boeing ecoDemonstrator 777-200 Visits Atlantic City When Boeing’s brightly liveried, experimental-category 777-200 landed at Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey during a recent demonstration tour, it wasn’t an ordinary flight. Not only did Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator fly in from Frankfurt, Germany, the first time an aircraft from the program had ever visited outside the U.S., but the approach to KACY itself was experimental. Flown using controller pilot datalink communications (CPDLC), it also included a steep 3.77-degree glideslope on the approach. Delta, LATAM to launch codesharing as carriers build leading partnership in Latin America Delta and LATAM will launch codesharing for flights operated by certain LATAM affiliates in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru beginning in the first quarter of 2020, pending receipt of applicable government approvals. The codeshare will offer customers increased connectivity between up to 74 onward destinations in the United States and up to 51 onward destinations in South America. The airlines are also working toward introducing frequent flyer program reciprocity and reciprocal lounge access. "This is an important milestone for customers as we begin to deliver on the transformative partnership between Delta and LATAM announced earlier this year," said Steve Sear, Delta President - International and Executive Vice President - Global Sales. "Once fully realized, this partnership will give us the ability to offer our shared customers an industry-leading network and superior service across the Americas.". The enhanced cooperation is subject to governmental and regulatory approvals. Emirates Signs $8.8 Billion Deal For 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners Emirates signed an $8.8 billion purchase agreement for 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The United Arab Emirates flag carrier appears to have selected the 296-seat -9 twinjet in place of some of the larger -10 model covered by an earlier memorandum of understanding. In an announcement made at the Dubai Airshow, Emirates said that it the deal involves substituting the thirty 787-9s for an equivalent number of 777Xs called for in an earlier agreement, while stressing that it intends to operate both aircraft on long-haul routes. Deliveries of the new Dreamliners will begin in May 2023 and will span five years. It still has 126 of Boeing's 777Xs on order and remains the world’s largest 777 operator with 155 of the twinjet in its fleet. The new agreement also covered the provision of 777 spare parts by Boeing Global Services. FAA To Take Full Control of Max Airworthiness Certification Boeing has lost its approval to certify individual 737 Max jets for flight as a result of a decision by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to bar the manufacturer from issuing its own airworthiness certificates under its organizational designation authority (ODA). The agency said it would reserve the authority to issue the certificates until Boeing puts in place “fully functional quality control and verification processes.” In the past, the FAA shared responsibility with Boeing to issue certification ahead of delivery. Fitch Revises Aircastle Limited's Rating Watch to Positive Fitch Ratings has revised Aircastle Limited’s rating watch status to positive from evolving, following the release of information becoming available to Fitch with respect to Aircastle’s expected ownership composition and the credit risk profile of its expected ownership group. Fitch previously placed Aircastle’s BBB- long-term issuer default rating (IDR) and debt ratings on rating watch evolving on 6 November following the announced acquisition of the company by Marubeni Corporation and Mizuho Leasing Company. Aircastle has indicated that it expects the transaction to close in mid-2020. Hawaiian Airlines Inaugurates New Fukuoka Service Hawaiian Airlines welcomed guests aboard its inaugural flights between Fukuoka Airport (FUK) and Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) with festive gate-side celebrations in both cities as the carrier marked the start of its four-times-weekly nonstop service with Airbus A330 aircraft. Fukuoka becomes Hawaiian's fourth gateway city in Japan, which complements its existing network of nonstop service connecting the Hawaiian Islands with Osaka, Sapporo, and Tokyo's Haneda and Narita airports. Mesa Air Group Announces Change to Agreement with American Airlines Mesa Air Group announced that under the recent amendment to its agreement with American Airlines, the company did not meet certain performance metrics during the most recent measurement period, which allows American to remove two additional aircraft from the capacity purchase agreement. American has agreed to defer the right to remove these two aircraft but has elected to remove one of two previously deferred aircraft, effective January 2, 2020.Based on the increased utilization of the remaining fleet, fiscal Q2 2020 (ending March 31) block hours for American are expected to be within one percent of block hour production for the same period last year. Acumen Aviation © 3 December 2019 All Rights Reserved.