04 Feb 2019

USA Aviation Industry Newsletter 4 February

Air Lease Corporation Announces Delivery of First of 12 New Airbus A321-200neo Aircraft with Vietnam Airlines Air Lease Corporation announced 28 January the delivery of one new Airbus A321-200neo aircraft featuring PW1130G engines on long-term lease to Vietnam Airlines. This aircraft is the first of 12 new A321-200neos scheduled to deliver to Vietnam Airlines through 2019 from ALC’s order book with Airbus. American Airlines takes delivery of its first A321neo American Airlines has taken delivery of the first of 100 A321neos on order from Airbus, powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines. The aircraft, MSN8647, departed Hamburg for the trans-Atlantic ferry flight to Pittsburgh where American’s technicians will get the A321neo ready for customer flights. ATR Surveys Growth Prospects in U.S. ATR has reflected on its mixed fortunes in 2018, while highlighting that the Franco-Italian company still dominates its market segment. It believes a return to the U.S. market represents a massive sales opportunity. ATR chief executive Stefano Bortoli referenced ATR's return to the U.S. market after more than 20 years with four aircraft poised to enter operation with Silver Airways. “We have been able to go back into the U.S. market after a long period–since 1995”. Boeing Dispatches Team to CFM to Speed 737 Recovery Boeing has sent more of its personnel to engine supplier CFM to give the Chicago-based airplane maker more precise insight into what so-called long-lead items continue to slow delivery of Leap-1B engines for the 737 Max program, according the Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg. Speaking during Boeing’s fourth-quarter earnings call, during which the company announced record revenues, profits, and deliveries during the period, Muilenburg singled out CFM as one of the last suppliers with which the airframer needs to work to “synchronize” workflow before executing on a planned production rate increase to 57 per month this year. CFM News Release:  CFM Logs More Than 3,300 Engine Orders in 2018 CFM International’s two product lines again achieved near-record levels in 2018, with the company booking orders for a total of 3,337 engines, including 126 CFM56 engines (commercial, military and spares) and 3,211 LEAP engines (including commitments and spares). Last year marked the production transition from CFM56 engines to the LEAP product line. CFM is on track to deliver 1,800+ LEAP engines in 2019 and will reach more than 2,000 engines per year by 2020. Embraer and SkyWest, Inc. Sign Contract for Nine E175 Aircraft Embraer and SkyWest, Inc. have signed a firm order for nine E175 aircraft, with deliveries expected to begin in 2019. The order has a value of $422 million, based on current list prices, and was already included in Embraer’s 2018 fourth-quarter backlog. SkyWest Airlines will operate all nine E175s, featuring a 76-seat configuration. GA Telesis Awarded Consignment of Four Boeing 777 Aircraft from Cathay Pacific Airways GA Telesis, LLC announced the consignment of four (4) Cathay Pacific 777 aircraft for disassembly. Already the world’s leading independent supplier of 777 used serviceable material , GA Telesis will position the components at its global distribution centers in immediate proximity to its airline customers. The first disassembly, currently underway in the US, will be followed by additional disassembles in succession at both US and UK-based disassembly facilities. Rolls-Royce TRENT 1000 Programme Accelerates With Delta TechOps The first Trent 1000 engine repaired at Delta TechOps’ engine overhaul facility in Atlanta, Georgia is ready to return to service. Delta TechOps is a Trent Authorised Maintenance Centre. The first Trent 1000 engine was taken into the facility in late 2018. As well as completing the engine shop visit, engineers took the opportunity to learn more about the engine. The new facility, in Atlanta, Georgia, was created by converting several large aircraft hangar bays and building a new test facility. The workshop consists of areas for engine assembly and disassembly; kitting parts; engines work in progress; shop materials and supplies, life limited parts and repair and support. A new test cell will open later this year, capable of testing engines to 150,000lb thrust. Universal Asset Management Acquires Boeing 747-400 Universal Asset Management, Inc. (UAM) announced 1 February it has acquired a Boeing 747-400 airframe MSN (24053) formerly operated by British Airways. The airframe will be disassembled in the United Kingdom and UAM will remarket components to support its worldwide OEM, airline and MRO customer base. Acumen Aviation © 4 February 2019 All Rights Reserved.