All Analysis – Page 22
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Analysis
Forget batteries, is hydrogen the holy grail for carbon-free commercial aviation?
While full-electric power may be feasible for short-range urban air mobility designs, a different energy source will be required for larger commercial jets.
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Analysis
‘Big Three’ service debut marks ARJ21’s day in the sun
It was a sight to behold: three Comac ARJ21 regional jets, parked side by side, the liveries of China’s three largest carriers dramatically reflected on a large puddle of water. When the ‘Big Three’ Chinese carriers - Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines - each took ...
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Analysis
UK keeps Tempest programme on target, despite downturn
As the last decade was nearing an end, the UK unveiled and then expanded an ambitious programme to develop a new class of future combat air systems with the potential to bolster not only its military capability, but also the fortunes of its defence industry.
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Analysis
How Franco-German FCAS could accelerate economic recovery
The award earlier this year of an 18-month initial contract for risk-reduction work on a French-German future combat air system programme has propelled the effort’s industry partners towards launching demonstrator flights from as early as 2026.
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Analysis
Opportunity in crisis for Australian regional airlines
There is opportunity in every crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic could present one for some of Australia’s regional airlines to expand. The grounding of airline fleets globally “presents significant opportunities for Alliance [Aviation] to expand its fleet” and it is looking to raise a target A$122 million ($85 million) for ...
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Analysis
China’s big, nebulous plan for a Hainan aviation finance hub
Several free trade ports and zones in mainland China offer opportunities for leasing aircraft onshore under tax-efficient conditions, though few would say these provide much competition with Hong Kong, which has a well-established aircraft financing and leasing community and since 2017 has had a favourable tax regime for lessors. This ...
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Analysis
Spirit’s struggles show suppliers can expect little ‘relief’ from Max return
News that Spirit AeroSystems has again cut 2020 production of Boeing 737 components sent another ripple of discouragement through an already reeling aerospace industry.
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Analysis
Layoffs expected when pay support ends for US carriers
Air travel may not return to pre-coronavirus levels until at least 2023, so US carriers are making plans to downsize their employee base, echoing the warnings of transportation analysts that the industry is “staff heavy” for the market reeling from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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Analysis
How MRO providers see the post-Covid future
As airlines reduce their fleets, expecting it will take years until passenger demand returns to pre-crisis levels, MRO providers have to deal with excess capacity while having to support in-service aircraft under renewed cost pressure.
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Analysis
Assessing government support for Asia-Pacific carriers
When it announced a HK$39 billion ($5 billion) recapitalisation on 9 June, Cathay Pacific joined a growing list of Asia-Pacific airlines that have received government support amid the coronavirus crisis. The region appears to have learnt from its experience with SARS in 2003. Governments have responded quickly to Covid-19, jumping ...
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Analysis
Current-generation aircraft ready for cargo conversions
The worldwide grounding of aircraft during the passenger travel downturn has led to a shortage in capacity for air freight delivery, increasing the incentive for airlines to convert Boeing 777s, 737NGs and other newer generation aircraft for cargo flights.
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Analysis
GE Aviation and Embraer Commercial tap international sales experience with new CEOs
The new chief executives of GE Aviation and Embraer’s commercial aircraft division are well suited to help address the particular challenges facing those companies’ corners of the aerospace industry.
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Analysis
Boeing faces ‘critical few months’ amid pandemic: analysts
Aerospace industry analysts suspect regulators will re-certificate the 737 Max later this year, but they stress that the company’s challenges extend well beyond that programme.
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Analysis
UK spins up second phase of privatised search and rescue helicopter contract
In just over four years the UK could have three different firms running its search and rescue (SAR) operations using smaller helicopters than at present and calling on assets as diverse as unmanned air vehicles and high-altitude pseudo-satellites.
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Analysis
Coronavirus pandemic pummels first-quarter business and general aviation shipments
Worldwide shipments of fixed-wing business and general aviation aircraft fell in the first quarter of 2020 to their lowest level for a decade, with the sector’s poor performance almost entirely due to the coronavirus outbreak.
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Analysis
Amazon’s aviation plans will benefit from cargo’s rally
Amazon Air is one of the few airlines that has seen an uptick in demand amid the coronavirus pandemic as home orders for goods has increased from its namesake e-commerce website, leading analysts to debate how fast its fleet could grow through 2028. Amazon Air tells Cirium that by 2021 ...
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Analysis
Pandemic puts thrust levers to idle for big jet engine makers
For Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, GE Aviation and CFM International, a long downturn means de-tuning plans to ramp up the power
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Analysis
Chinese lessors look closer to home for deals
China’s leasing executives are now the jetsetters of the industry, while their counterparts elsewhere relinquish their road warrior status and adapt to work-from-home conditions due to lockdowns and travel restrictions. “I’m going to take off in several minutes,” says a Chinese leasing executive in a recent message to Cirium on ...
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Analysis
Delays, budget cuts, and then some: SpaceJet confronts new realities
Nearly a year after a high-profile rebranding, Mitsubishi’s SpaceJet programme faces an existential crisis of sorts. It has suffered a major budget cut, and development of a 76-seat variant has been put on the backburner. What does this mean for Japan’s flagship regional aircraft programme?
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Analysis
Mainline deliveries slump by over 50% during first four months
Deliveries across the two mainline aircraft manufacturers’ production lines fell by more than half during the first four months to less than 200 aircraft, as the coronavirus pandemic began to have a major effect.