08 Jan 2018

USA Aviation Industry Newsletter 8 January

A321neo Arrival Positions Hawaiian for Network Optimization Hawaiian Airlines sees its new Airbus A321neo fleet as the key to maximizing opportunities in some U.S. medium-haul markets too small for its A330s, freeing widebody capacity to boost the carrier’s international expansion. Hawaiian puts its first of 18 A321neos in service today on its Kahului-Oakland route, replacing A330s. Other announced routes for the new Airbus narrowbodies include adding new service between Maui’s Kahului Airport and both San Diego and Portland, Oregon, as well as upgrading some seasonal service to year-round flights. Airbus Acquires U.S. Training Center Airbus has acquired the Strategic Simulation Solutions flight training center in Aurora, Colorado, marking the opening of its first such facility in the western U.S., the manufacturer announced Thursday. The center primarily supports Frontier Airlines and carries what Airbus calls significant room for growth. The company said it plans to at least double capacity at the facility in the next few years. The Aurora training center now features two A320 family level-D full-flight simulators for training Frontier Airlines pilots on the airline’s all-Airbus fleet. Airbus plans to add more simulators at the Denver facility this year to address anticipated increased demand for training. Air Wisconsin Airlines Signs Five-Year Contract with StandardAero for Honeywell 36-150RJ APU MRO Services to Support Fleet of 65 Aircraft Air Wisconsin has awarded StandardAero with an exclusive, five-year contract to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul services for Honeywell GTCP36-150RJ auxiliary power units (APU) on its fleet of 65 Bombardier CRJ-200 model regional aircraft at StandardAero’s Maryville, TN facility. Aviation Partners Boeing Announces Mike Stowell as Chief Executive Officer Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) announced 4 January the appointment of Mike Stowell, APB's Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, as its new President and Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. The planned departure of APB's prior CEO, Bill Ashworth, follows 6+ years of remarkable company performance continuing APB's status as one of the industry's most successful aircraft modification and FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) companies. Competition Begins for Production Site of Boeing's NMA Boeing remains at least months away from announcing whether it will build an aircraft to address the perceived gap between its widebody and narrowbody jet offerings. But various public-private consortiums have already begun working to influence the company’s decision about where to build it. Boeing has opened an office dedicated to studying the concept of a so-called NMA (New Midsized Airplane). In terms of size, the twin-aisle NMA would fit somewhere between the 737-10 and the 787-8 Dreamliner. And if Washington commerce secretary Brian Bonlender gets his way, Boeing will build it somewhere in the Evergreen State. SMO Reopens with New ATC Procedures Operations resumed late last month on the shortened Runway 3/21 at Santa Monica Airport (SMO) in California with new air traffic control procedures in place. The city announced the December 23 reopening of the 3,500-foot runway—reduced by 1,500 feet—proclaiming the project on time and on budget and stressing that the new length would reduce jet traffic and pollution in both Santa Monica and Los Angeles. Acumen Aviation © 8 January All Rights Reserved.