11 Sep 2017

USA Aviation Industry Newsletter 11 September

Emirates may restore capacity to US by mid-2018: Clark Emirates President Tim Clark said he hoped the Dubai-based carrier will restore capacity to the United States in early to mid-2018 after Emirates cut down on flights in May this year. Speaking at an aviation conference in London last week .Clark said he hoped capacity to the US will be restored in six to nine months. “Demand for travel is still fairly strong, and I’m hoping that in the next six to nine months that we will restore our capacity to what it was,” Clark said, as per Reuters reports JetBlue to Expand Program That Turns Grocery Clerks Into Pilots JetBlue is looking for more supermarket clerks and accountants to train to fly its planes as the U.S. airline industry copes with a looming pilot shortage. The New York-based carrier said its first-in-the-U.S. training program that turns people with little or no flying experience into commercial jet pilots has been so successful that it’s seeking a second round of candidates. The company is taking online applications for the four-year, $125,000 program. A pilot deficit in the U.S. aviation industry will soar to 15,000 by 2026, according to a study by the University of North Dakota’s Aviation Department. More captains are reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 and fewer young people are choosing commercial aviation as a profession. Ukraine's Aerovis eyes US market with An-12 freighters AeroVis Airlines has applied to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for a foreign air carrier permit to engage in scheduled and charter foreign air transportation of property and mail to and from the United States. The carrier plans to initially start with ad-hoc cargo charters in the autumn of 2017, eventually providing eight flights per month using its two An-12A aircraft U.S. airlines come out in favour of Bombardier in dispute with Boeing Two U.S.-based airlines have decided to make themselves heard in the dispute between Boeing and Bombardier by asking U.S. authorities to reject the complaint from the Chicago-based giant. According to Spirit Airlines and Sun Country Airlines, Boeing’s punitive duties on C Series sales in the United States are a barrier to innovation and competition in the civil aviation industry. The two low-cost carriers shared their arguments by sending separate letters to the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Commerce Department last month. “Spirit believes (Boeing’s complaint) is an inappropriate way to block the entry of Bombardier’s C Series into the U.S. market,” wrote its chief financial officer Edward Christie. U.S. Airlines Revise Guidance Due To Effects Of Pricing And Storms Major storms throughout the U.S. are taking their toll on air carriers. Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines have revised their third-quarter guidance in light of a competitive pricing environment and the effects of Hurricane Harvey on Texas. U.S. FAA FY2018 Funding Bill Moves to House Floor The U.S. House today is considering a nearly $16.6 billion budget for the FAA in Fiscal Year 2018 as part of a major government funding package. The House yesterday began debate on the omnibus appropriations package that combines eight appropriations bills, including Transportation, House and Urban Development  (THUD) funding legislation. The House THUD package emphasizes safety and alternative fuel funding. It includes a number of provisions of note to the business and aviation community, such as the continued ability for the business aircraft operator to request that its tail number is blocked from display on public real-time tracking services. WestJet aims to lure Canadians from U.S. airlines with no-frills carrier WestJet Airlines Ltd's planned ultra-low-cost carrier will target Canadian passengers who currently cross the border into the United States for cheaper fares, the company's chief financial officer said last week. Canada's second-largest airline, which is launching the separate no-frills carrier in June 2018, is trying to attract Canadians who now drive to places like Buffalo, New York for cheaper fares from U.S. rivals, said WestJet CFO Harry Taylor. Acumen Aviation © 11 September All Rights Reserved.