Must read
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In depth
Airline Business Index shows industry recovery stalling in Covid-hit start to 2022
The latest Airline Business Index shows the global airline industry’s progress towards its pre-Covid size stalled during the first quarter of 2022, as the Omicron variant of Covid-19 weighed on the performance of most markets.
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News
Ethiopian Airlines emerges as customer for more 777Fs
Ethiopian Airlines has emerged as the customer behind an order for five Boeing 777 freighters previously attributed to an unidentified operator. The African carrier is already a 777F operator, having previously ordered eight directly from the airframer. Ethiopian Airlines chief Mesfin Tasew says the additional jets will enable the airline ...
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In depth
Boeing’s safety overhaul ‘working’ as Max recovery advances
Nearly three-and-a-half years after the first 737 Max crash, Boeing says it is progressing steadily through an organisation-wide safety overhaul aimed at preventing the type of issues that contributed to the re-engined narrowbody’s crisis.
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News
Bombardier launches ultra-long-range Global 8000 with supersonic test campaign
Bombardier has given a supersonic start to the launch of its long-promised 8,000nm (14,800km)-range Global 8000 – flying a test aircraft beyond the speed of sound as part of its certification campaign.
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In depth
Is hydrogen power the right path for aviation?
The aviation industry is focused on hydrogen as the zero emissions fuel of the future, with a 100-seater or larger airliner touted for 2035. But the challenges to make it a reality are formidable.
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Analysis
Airline tie-up moves show fresh post-pandemic path to partnerships
Air France-KLM’s long-term partnership with French shipping and logistics specialist CMA CGM is further evidence of the variety of approaches to partnerships emerging in the pandemic recovery stage.
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News
IAG single-aisle renewal ends uncertainty over 737 Max commitment
IAG’s decision to order a combination of Boeing 737 Max 10s and Max 8-200s puts an end to scepticism as to whether a tentative agreement for 200 aircraft, three years ago, would survive crises affecting the Max and the broader air transport industry, as well as changes of IAG management. ...
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In depth
Supercomputers, simulations and smart tools: inside Sikorsky’s bid for Future Vertical Lift
The 99-year-old company, whose founder and namesake pioneered rotary aviation, is making a multi-billion-dollar bet that next-generation manufacturing can secure its bid to produce the US Army’s newest helicopters.
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Podcast
Airline Business Podcast: Reining in the recovery and Chinese market reversal
Graham and Lewis discuss big airline expectations from the recent results season, alongside the operational challenges that threaten to limit the recovery and the uncertainty regarding what might follow. And as more of the Asia-Pacific region brings down border restrictions, they consider the impact of China’s continued ‘zero-Covid’ policy on ...
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News
Avianca and Gol join to form holding company
Latin American carriers Avianca and Gol have agreed to join operations under a UK-based holding company while maintaining individual brands, a move intended to create long-term stability in the post-coronavirus environment.
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Analysis
Can wavering supply chain support airframers’ ever-higher narrowbody goals?
Airbus’s plan to significantly hike A320neo-family production in the coming years has raised the question of whether the already strained aerospace supply chain is up to the task.
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Interview
Willie Walsh on the airline sector’s route to recovery and a sustainable future
A year since taking the helm at IATA, the former IAG chief is keeping the pressure on regulators and suppliers not to derail airlines’ journeys out of the depths of the pandemic and on to profitability, while supporting the industry’s move to the front foot in tackling its environmental challenges
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In depth
Airline Business Covid-19 recovery tracker: May 2022 update
Our regular examination of the latest global data for several key airline market indicators, including traffic and capacity in passenger and cargo markets, in-service and stored fleets, jet fuel costs, and share price trends for the world’s largest groups.
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News
Republic Airways seeks exemption from 1,500h pilot rule to alleviate shortage
US regional carrier Republic Airways has filed for an exemption to pilot aeronautical experience requirements set by the Federal Aviation Administration, in an effort to alleviate the pilot shortage.
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In depth
The sustainability chiefs leading the airline industry’s net-zero charge
With sustainability established as a top-tier priority for swathes of the commercial aviation sector, dedicated executives at carriers around the world are taking the lead on the topic
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News
Airbus commits to building 75 A320s a month after supply-chain analysis
Airbus is committing to a substantial hike in A320 production rates to 75 aircraft monthly over the next three years. Chief executive Guillaume Faury disclosed during a first-quarter briefing that the airframer aimed to reach the output level in 2025. The company had already been moving to raise the monthly ...
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In depth
Gulfstream restricts G500 landing conditions pending flight-control software fix
Gulfstream has further restricted the wind conditions in which G500s and G600s are permitted to land, a move following a recent hard landing involving an unexpected flight-control mode change.
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Interview
Icelandair chief on Covid recovery, Max jets, 757s, cargo and competition
With the group restructured during the pandemic, Icelandair under Bogi Nils Bogason is emerging as a streamlined, aviation-focused business with a decision ahead on its future fleet
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News
Airbus rolls out initial A321XLR in livery highlighting twinjet’s range
Airbus has unveiled the paint scheme on its first A321XLR, the longest-range variant of its single-aisle twinjet range. The aircraft is carrying a livery featuring landmarks from New York and Rome, on its port side and London and New Delhi on the starboard, to illustrate the additional range of the ...
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News
Spirit board rejects acquisition by JetBlue, moves ahead with Frontier combination
Spirit Airlines has rejected an acquisition proposal from JetBlue Airways, saying its board of directors favours a competing proposal under which Frontier Airlines would acquire the budget carrier.