Aircraft Delivery Delays, Another Massive Aircraft Order for Airbus in June? and More
Aviation news brief for 24th Feb, 2023
Dear readers,
Welcome to AviationOutlook newsletter, your one-stop source for most relevant aviation news briefs and industry insights (every weekday).
Here are the exciting aviation industry updates for today. Let’s get started.
Qantas turns to second-hand and wet-lease markets amid aircraft delivery delays
Qantas Group has acknowledged that it is facing aircraft delivery delays, including the later-than-scheduled arrival of new narrowbody jets from Airbus.
These delays have forced the company to source second-hand and wet-lease aircraft to help restore fleet capacity to pre-Covid levels and meet surging demand.
The Australian flag carrier has a large order for 299 next-generation A220 and A320neo family aircraft. To offset the delivery delays, the group is sourcing mid-life A319/320 aircraft for Network Aviation and second-hand A320s for Jetstar Asia. Read more
Delta Air Lines and Kyndryl tackle IT transformation with expanded partnership
IBM spinoff Kyndryl has signed an agreement with Delta Air Lines to continue powering the "mission-critical systems" that support the airline's daily operations. The systems running on Kyndryl's mainframe include complex crew rostering and scheduling for daily 4,000 Delta Air Lines flights.
It also helps Delta maintain regulatory compliance on maintenance records for every aircraft in the fleet. Kyndryl also runs a platform for Delta's re-accommodation engine, which automatically rebooks customers when they experience flight cancellations or delays.
The expanded partnership will integrate automation capabilities to offer flexibility in how Delta's core enterprise data is moved and managed across IT environments. Read more
Embraer's Phenom 300 named the world's best-selling light jet for the 11th consecutive year
Embraer's Phenom 300 series has been named the world's best-selling light jet by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) for the 11th year in a row.
The company delivered 59 of the jets in 2022. The series has been delivered more than 700 times and operates in 36 countries with almost 1.8 million flight hours logged.
The new Phenom 300E has a maximum speed of Mach 0.80, a high-speed cruise of 464 knots, and a range of 2,010 nautical miles with NBAA IFR reserves for five occupants. Read more
Airbus and IndiGo in negotiations for a massive aircraft order
IndiGo, a budget airline in India, is reportedly in talks with Airbus to purchase "several hundred aircraft," according to French publication Les Echos, citing French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire.
The contract may be signed at the June French airshow in Le Bourget. IndiGo's rival, Air India, recently placed a record order for 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, including 250 aircraft from Airbus. The order is considered the largest purchase in commercial aviation history. Read more
Australian company develops electric planes with the promise to revolutionize regional flights
An Australian start-up, Dovetail Electric Aviation, is set to showcase its latest electric innovations at the Australian International Airshow. The company is developing battery-powered solutions for planes that it believes have the potential to "revolutionize" regional flights and transform the way all Australians travel.
Dovetail Electric Aviation will exhibit a small Cessna Caravan plane equipped with battery pods and a working electric plane motor. The company is working on converting small petrol-powered planes using electric motors and lithium-ion batteries.
Dovetail plans to launch its first "experimental" electric plane in 2024. The move promises to significantly cut aircraft fuel and maintenance costs with massive upside for tourism and skydiving operators. Read more
Do you like reading this newsletter? Please share it!
Air India's historic order brings a big opportunity for GE Aerospace
As per Business Insider, the first Air India aircraft with GE engines are expected to be service-ready in 2023.
The order of 40 GE engines plus a multi-year engine services agreement will result in the first new aircraft entering service in late 2023, with the bulk arriving mid-2025. Air India engine order is a "big opportunity" for GE Aerospace.
GE Aerospace has an engineering center in Bengaluru. The company also helped set up Air India's MRO facility in Nagpur in 2018-19. Read more
Aviation industry rebounds but faces a critical shortage of skilled workers
The aviation industry is experiencing a significant shortage of skilled professionals as it faces an unprecedented surge in hiring. Airlines and aviation companies are struggling to fill the gaps left by retiring or alternative career-seeking professionals.
There's high demand for various roles, including pilots, cabin crew, customer service representatives, engineers, IT specialists, production staff, and quality control personnel.
As travel restrictions ease, the demand for skilled professionals is increasing. The primary challenge for the aviation industry will be finding and attracting the right talent to fill these positions. Read more
Wizz Air, Heathrow, and Boeing take off with sustainable aviation fuel plans
Low-cost Hungarian airline Wizz Air has signed a new agreement with Neste to purchase more sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) from 2025.
Wizz Air has committed to reducing its carbon emissions intensity per passenger kilometer by 25% before 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050. As part of this effort, the airline has secured a deal that allows them to purchase more than 36,000 tonnes of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) each year.
This announcement came the same week Heathrow Airport said it aimed to triple its SAF usage to 1.5% this year, and Boeing agreed to purchase 5.6 million gallons of blended SAF from Neste. Read more
Boeing halts 787 deliveries again due to fuselage issue: FAA steps in
Boeing has paused deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner planes due to an "analysis error" related to fuselage components. The FAA must be satisfied with the issue before deliveries can resume.
Although Boeing has halted near-term deliveries, it doesn't anticipate any changes to its production and delivery outlook for the year.
The FAA previously stopped deliveries in May 2021 due to production flaws and inspection concerns, resulting in Boeing not delivering a single Dreamliner for over a year. The company resumed deliveries in August 2022 and aims to deliver 70-80 Dreamliners to customers this year. Read more
JetBlue and Spirit Airlines' unions split over the proposed merger
Flight attendant unions at JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines are divided over the two companies' proposed merger.
While the Transport Workers Union has requested US officials to prevent the merger, the Association of Flight Attendants-C.W.A. has approved the deal, which includes higher wages and quality-of-life improvements.
The Justice Department is expected to decide soon whether to sue to prevent the merger, with the agency predicted to at least secure concessions from the companies before the acquisition proceeds.
Opponents of the merger have also called on the Transportation Department to block operating certificate transfers between the two airlines. Read more
***
Thank you for reading!!
For other in-depth insights and analysis on aviation/aerospace industry, visit aviationoutlook.com
Who reads AviationOutlook?
Whether you are an aviation professional: engineer, pilot, cabin crew, aircraft technician, or a frequent flyer and an aviation enthusiast, you will find something that suits your interests and needs in our newsletter.
Know someone who would love AviationOutlook? Gift them a subscription!
Join other Aviation Outlookers
Be part of this growing community of aviation professionals and enthusiasts. Connect with people, share your opinion and ideas on ongoing aspects of aviation industry.
Join Us! Help build a thriving aviation community. Share this newsletter to your colleagues, friends and family.