TEN-YEAR DEMAND 2,625 UNITS: EMBRAER
Embraer forecasts demand for 30- to 120-seat aircraft at 2,625 units up to 2019, including 1,550 with 91-120 seats, 1,015 with 61-90 seats and just 60 with 30-60 seats. Separately, the Brazilian airframer will decide by August whether or not to close its Chinese plant. Harbin Embraer will deliver its last ERJ-145 in the first half of 2011, but Embraer is having difficulty obtaining requisite licences from the Chinese government to transition to assembly of the 190, which would compete with China's Comac ARJ21.
KUWAIT AIRWAYS HAS IRAQI ASSETS IN SIGHTS
Lawyers acting for Kuwait Airways have secured an undertaking that Iraqi Airways will shortly provide details of its global assets. Kuwait Airways has been fighting for compensation for aircraft lost when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. Iraqi Airways' chief executive Kifah Hassan Jabbar was served with a travel ban on arrival in London in April to extract an asset disclosure through UK courts.
AIRCELL EYES EVENTUAL IPO
Aircell is increasingly confident that an initial public offering of shares is in its future. The Chicago-based provider of Gogo air-to-ground and Inmarsat SwiftBroadband-supported services has no current IPO plans but says "it's a real possibility someday for our exciting, high-growth business".
LOST COLUMBUS DENTS VOUGHT RISE
Rising Boeing 747-8 income helped lift first quarter revenue and pre-tax profits by a fifth to $470.5 million and $26.8 million respectively at Dallas-headquarters aerostructures maker Vought Aircraft Industries. Business jet revenue decreased 10% primarily due to the absence of sales of the large-cabin Citation Columbus programme, which Cessna cancelled last year.
NORTHROP, RUAG GRAB TIGER'S TAIL
Northrop Grumman and Switzerland's Ruag Aviation have teamed up to provide aftermarket support, modifications and upgrades for countries flying Northrop F-5 Tigers. Ruag is already prime support provider for F-5 operators including Switzerland.
CARGO LESSOR LIKES 767 MARKET
Cargo Aircraft Management, the aircraft leasing operation of Air Transport Services Group, posted a 37.7% rise in first quarter pre-tax earnings, to $6.5 million on revenue up 36.8% to $17.8 million. CAM, which as of 31 March had 45 aircraft under lease, says it expects to expand its Boeing 767 freighter fleet from seven to 13.
A-10, PENGUIN LIFT FOR CPI
First quarter revenue rose 14% to more than $11 million and pre-tax profits were up 58% to $1.3 million for CPI Aerostructures on the back of work for the Boeing A-10 attack jet and Sikorsky Penguin missile launcher programmes, offset by a "normal programme cycle" Gulfstream G650 executive jet decrease.
GE REMAKES WALTER ENGINES IN ITS NAME
GE has renamed its Czech operation as GE Aviation's Business & General Aviation Turboprops, reflecting its plan to turn the former Walter Engines, which it bought in 2008, into the centrepiece of a bid to dramatically increase its share of the business and general aviation market. The unit is working towards third quarter European approval of its Walter M601-based H80.
Source: Flight International
