Airbus Updates No.378

Airbus A300

-622R

797

A6-NIN

Maximus Air Cargo

ferried 30jul11 HND-ALA-DRS for conversion

ex JA012D

Airbus A319

-111

4764

EI-IMN

Alitalia

for delivery 01aug11 XFW-FCO

ex D-AVYG

Airbus A320	-233	4798		N505VL	Volaris	delivery 30jul11 XFW-KEF-BGR-TLC	ex D-AVVT
Airbus A321	-231	4792		D-AIDJ	Lufthansa	delivery 29jul11 XFW-FRA	ex D-AVZO
Airbus A330	-223	1002		JY-AIG	Royal Jordanian	delivery 29jul11 HAM-AMM	ex EI-ESA
Airbus A330	-243	1241		B-6535	Sichuan Airlines	delivery 29jul11 TLS-CTU	ex F-WWYB

Airbus Updates No.377

Investigators To Say More On Air France Crash

July 29, 2011

French air accident investigators are expected to provide further insights on Friday into the airliner crash that killed 228 people when an Airbus A330 crashed into the Atlantic two years ago.
The BEA crash investigation agency will present its latest findings on the disaster, after two months sifting through data from black box flight recorders recovered from the ocean floor in May.
Its report, to be presented at a 1230 GMT news conference attended by victims' relatives, comes weeks after the second anniversary of the unexplained crash which led to a USD$50 million search operation to recover the black boxes.
The BEA will not attempt to give an official cause. Dozens of legal suits are pending on both sides of the Atlantic involving the airline, plane maker Airbus and their suppliers.
A final report is not due until later this year.
But sources close to the investigation say the BEA is for the first time ready to go further than just issuing rigidly factual summaries.
"This report will present the exact circumstances of the accident with an initial analysis and some new findings based on the data recovered from the flight recorders," the BEA said.
An initial summary in May, shortly after the black boxes were hauled from the ocean floor, raised questions over the actions of the pilots, but it stopped short of blaming them.
Initial black box evidence suggested the junior pilot pulled the nose up as the aircraft became unstable, shortly after there were inconsistent speed readings and an audible stall warning.
Aviation experts say this contradicted procedures which call for the nose to be lowered in response to an alert that the plane is in danger of losing lift and stalling.
"The main difficulty has been to understand why the pilots did what they did, starting from their earliest responses," a source familiar with aspects of the investigation said.
Jean-Louis Barber, head of the Air France branch of the main French pilots' union, told France Info radio the root cause of the accident was clearly a mechanical one, whatever the pilot response.
"What the first two reports from the BEA have shown is that, firstly, the event that triggered the accident was defective speed sensors, that it was a mechanical failure," he said.
That triggered a chain of events that the pilots may have struggled to respond to, especially if the plane's alarm system was apparently working against them and giving contradictory signals, he said.
The BEA has confirmed that cockpit speed readings went haywire shortly before the accident on June 1, 2009, something that may have been linked to icing up of the speed sensors on the outside of the aircraft.
In the worst previous accident linked to such sensors, in 1996, pilots of a Boeing 757 flown by Dominican airline Alas Nacionales were confused by poor speed data and lost control, according to records kept by the Flight Safety Foundation.

Airbus Updates No.376

Air France Crash Probe Finds Pilots Ignored Warnings

July 29, 2011

French investigators said on Friday that the crew of Air France's Rio-Paris flight, which crashed into the Atlantic two years ago, ignored repeated stall warnings and failed to follow textbook procedures.
France's BEA authority issued 10 new safety recommendations aimed at avoiding a repeat of the crash, which killed 228 people, including more training on flying aircraft manually -- a skill which industry critics say has been eroded by computers.
The BEA report into the final minutes of flight AF 447 found that pilots failed to discuss "stall" alarms as their doomed Airbus jet plummeted 38,000 feet and hurtled into the ocean at 200 km (125 miles) per hour, killing everyone on board.
It revealed passengers were not given any warning as pilots struggled to avoid the crash in the early hours of June 1, 2009.
The updated account, based on recently recovered black boxes, confirmed a finding in May that the crew responded to stall warnings by doing something that has mystified aviation experts ever since -- pointing the nose up instead of down.
"It seems obvious the crew didn't recognise the situation they were in, for whatever reason, and more training could have helped," said Paul Hayes, safety director at UK consultancy Ascend Aviation.
An aerodynamic stall -- not to be confused with stalled engines -- is a dangerous condition that occurs when wings are unable to support the aircraft. The textbook way of responding is to point the nose downwards to capture air at a better angle.
But a stall of a commercial aircraft is a rare event and especially so at high altitude, for which crash investigators have made clear there is little or no specific training.
The report appeared likely to spark a battle between Air France and Airbus over whether the pilots' actions in failing to respond to a stall or whether faulty flight equipment were most to blame.
"At this stage, there is no reason to question the crew's technical skills," Air France said in a statement, blaming the "misleading stopping and starting of the stall warning alarm" for complicating their attempts to analyse the situation.
LAWSUITS MAY FOLLOW
The question of who is to blame is of huge importance as both firms face criminal probes in France. Victims' families have laid the foundation for lawsuits on both sides of the Atlantic.
During normal computer-assisted flying, Airbus systems are designed to prevent a stall developing even if the pilot errs.
But in this case the A330 was being flown manually after the autopilot switched itself off in the wake of a temporary loss of reliable speed data, thought to be caused by ice on the Pitot speed sensors made by French aerospace firm Thales.
The pilots had not been trained on a procedure known as "Unreliable IAS (indicated airspeed)" or on manual aircraft handling at high altitudes, the BEA said in a statement.
The BEA recommended mandatory exercises for pilots on ways of handling aircraft manually and preventing high-altitude stalls.
A lawyer for the families of some victims said the report's emphasis on the role of the pilots was "very questionable".
"This is perhaps a way of BEA freeing the firms from their responsibility," Olivier Morrice told reporters. "If there was not a failure of the Pitot sensors, the pilots would not have been placed in such a complicated situation."
The BEA stopped short of pinning blame on either the crew or the aircraft and its systems, but three of its recommendations focused on the way the plane is flown or crewed and one proposed adding an extra instrument to reinforce audible stall alerts.
Others called for black boxes to record a video image of what pilots see on the computer screens that nowadays replace a forest of dials, though unions have said this could be misused.
The call for extra training may comfort union leaders who have denounced what they see as a rush to blame the Air France pilots after the first black box read-out in May.
Unions say that in order to save costs, airlines force pilots to rely too heavily on push-button flying techniques that work only until something goes seriously wrong. Air France says safety is a top priority and Airbus says its planes are safe.
Black box data suggested that for the most part a 32-year-old junior pilot pulled back on the stick despite a series of stall warnings, including one lasting 54 seconds.
Pilots say an Airbus stall warning consists of a synthetic voice crying "stall, stall," an alarm nicknamed the "cavalry charge" and a red master warning light on the instrument panel.
Shortly before the emergency began, the 52-year-old captain had started a routine rest period but had left without giving clear operational instructions, the BEA said in a summary.
By the time the captain returned to the cockpit a minute and a half into the emergency the aircraft was in serious trouble.

Airbus Updates No.375

Incident: LAN A320 at Esquel on Jul 24th 2011, runway excursion

By Simon Hradecky, created Tuesday, Jul 26th 2011 14:51Z, last updated Tuesday, Jul 26th 2011 14:56Z A LAN Argentina Airbus A320-200, registration LV-CKV performing flight 4M-4052 from Buenos Aires Newbery,BA to Esquel,CB (Argentina) with 155 passengers, landed on Esquel's runway 23 however overran the end of the runway by about 3 meters (10 feet) with the nose gear coming to a stop on soft ground at about 11:40L (14:40Z). The airplane subsequently turned around by 180 degrees and taxied to the gate where the passengers disembarked normally. No injuries occurred. The aircraft was being checked for possible engine ingestion of foreign objects and possible nose gear damage. Aviation gossip talks of a possible windshear on short final. Metars or local weather information currently not available, though the local weather station reported calm winds about 3 hours prior to and winds of up to 33kph/18 knots about 3 hours past the incident. Incident: Singapore A388 at Singapore on Jul 25th 2011, engine shut down in flight By Simon Hradecky, created Tuesday, Jul 26th 2011 08:02Z, last updated Tuesday, Jul 26th 2011 12:34Z A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380-800, registration 9V-SKH performing flight SQ-856 from Singapore (Singapore) to Hong Kong (China) with 368 passengers and 21 crew, was climbing out of Singapore about 20 minutes into the flight when engine #3 (Trent 900, inboard right hand) surged and suffered vibrations prompting the engine to be shut down. The crew decided to return to Singapore for a safe landing about 50 minutes after departure. A replacement Airbus A380-800 registration 9V-SKB reached Hong Kong with a delay of 4.5 hours. The airline reported engine #3 suffered surge and high vibration and was automatically shut down. The crew decided to return to Singapore as a precaution. Following inspections the engine is currently being exchanged, the aircraft is expected back in service on Jul 27th. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has been informed. Incident: Jetblue A320 at Bogota on Jul 26th 2011, could not retract gear By Simon Hradecky, created Tuesday, Jul 26th 2011 20:49Z, last updated Tuesday, Jul 26th 2011 20:49Z A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N565JB performing flight B6-1784 from Bogota (Colombia) to Orlando,FL (USA), could not retract the landing gear after departure and returned to Bogota for a safe landing. A replacement Airbus A320-200 was dispatched from Orlando to Bogota as flight B6-8198. Colombia's Civil Aviation Authority said, the landing gear of the Airbus A320 tail number N565JB could not be retracted, the cause is not yet known. Incident: Emirates A332 at Mumbai on Jul 27th 2011, engine shut down in flight By Simon Hradecky, created Wednesday, Jul 27th 2011 12:22Z, last updated Wednesday, Jul 27th 2011 12:22Z An Emirates Airbus A330-200, registration A6-EKX performing flight EK-507 from Mumbai (India) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) with 202 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Mumbai when the crew reported an engine (Trent 700) failure, secured the engine and decided to return to Mumbai. The aircraft landed safely about 20 minutes after departure. Accident: Air Mauritius A343 near Mauritius on Jul 28th 2011, turbulence injures 7 By Simon Hradecky, created Friday, Jul 29th 2011 10:08Z, last updated Friday, Jul 29th 2011 10:13Z An Air Mauritius Airbus A340-300, registration 3B-NAY performing flight MK-852 from Johannesburg (South Africa) to Mauritius (Mauritius) with 65 passengers and 13 crew, was on approach to Mauritius about 10 minutes prior to landing when the aircraft encountered moderate to severe turbulence causing injuries to 6 cabin crew and one passenger. The aircraft continued for a safe landing, the 7 injured were taken to a local hospital. The airline reported that the passenger and one cabin crew remained in hospital care, the other 5 flight attendants were released after treatment. An internal investigation is being carried out.

Airbus Updates No.374

Saudi Air Force A330 at Toulouse


Maximus Air Cargo A300F A6-HAZ at Dresden

Airbus Updates No.373

Airbus A300

-622RF

837

A6-HAZ

Maximus Air Cargo

re-delivery 27jul11 DRS-AUH after conversion

ex JA015D

Airbus A310

-324F

684

M-YRGR

Nilgiri Hills Leasing

ferried 26jull1 OPO-GIG in basic Deccan 360 cs

ex VT-AIN

Airbus A319

-132

2797

EI-ESG

WindJet

delivery 27/28jul11 LXR-BFS-CTA, regd at BFS

ex N611LF

Airbus A320	-214	1480		EI-IKG	Alitalia	in svc 27/28jul11 FCO-LHR-FCO for re-registration	ex I-BIKG
Airbus A320	-214	1597		TS-INP	Nouvelair	ferried 28jul11 IST-MPL after lease to Koral Blue for paint	ex SU-KBD

Airbus A320

-214

4780

A9C-AL

Gulf Air

delivery 28jul11 TLS-BAH

ex F-WWDP

Airbus Updates No.372

Lufthansa purchases 30 A320neo Family aircraft

 

Fuel-efficient new aircraft will fit seamlessly into Lufthansa’s fleet and strategy

 

Lufthansa has placed a firm order for 30 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft. This contract follows the selection by the Lufthansa Supervisory Board of the A320neo Family in March this year. The order comprises 25 A320neo and five A321neo aircraft. These will be powered by new-generation Pratt & Whitney PW1100G turbofan engines. With this latest order the Lufthansa Group, Airbus’ biggest airline customer, will have purchased a combined total of 443 Airbus aircraft.

The A320neo Family also incorporates large "Sharklet" wing tip devices, which together with the new more efficient engines, will deliver up to 15 percent in fuel savings. This will represent some 3,600 tonnes less CO2 per aircraft, per year. In addition, the A320neo will provide a double-digit reduction in NOx emissions and reduced engine noise, thus being a good neighbour at any airport where Lufthansa is operating the aircraft.

“We are proud that Lufthansa has chosen the eco-efficient A320neo Family as its solution for sustainable growth, and one which will fit seamlessly into its existing Airbus A320 fleet,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “Since its launch in December last year, around 1,200 orders and commitments for the ‘neo’ have given it the fastest rate of sales ever for any commercial aircraft.”

Today the Lufthansa Group is Airbus’ biggest operator worldwide with more than 360 Airbus aircraft currently in service. These include: 254 A320 Family; 38 A330s; 65 A340s; and eight A380s. With this latest order for 30 aircraft, the Lufthansa Group has an order backlog which includes 85 A320 Family aircraft, eight A330s, and seven A380s.

The A320 Family (A318, A319, A320 and A321) is recognised as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. Over 7,500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been ordered and more than 4,700 delivered to more than 330 customers and operators worldwide. The A320neo Family will have over 95 percent airframe commonality with the existing models making it an easy fit into today’s fleets while offering up to 500 nautical miles more range or two tonnes more payload at a given range.

Airbus Updates No.371

EADS Denies 70 Percent AMR Discount

July 27, 2011

Airbus parent EADS said on Tuesday a giant deal to sell 260 jets to American Airlines last week was profitable and denied that it had cut prices by up to 70 percent.

Commercial Aviation Online reported that Airbus and Boeing had both offered aircraft to American Airlines for around USD$30 million, which would cover either the re-engined A320neo aircraft or the rival Boeing 737-800.


That would represent a discount of 67 percent for the A320neo or 55 percent for the current model of Boeing 737-800.

"The deal is profitable and absolutely in line with EADS and Airbus business plans," an EADS spokesman said, adding he was responding to rumours of discounts of 70 percent.

"The rumours are completely unfounded. The A320 deal is a perfectly normal market deal and the A320neo deal fully acknowledges the value this brings to the customer."

Airbus agreed to sell 130 existing A320 aircraft which have a list price of USD$85 million and 130 A320neo, a planned upgrade of the A320 with new engines and a list price of USD$91.2 million.
In what it described as the largest civil aviation deal, American also placed an order for 100 current Boeing 737s and 100 upgraded versions that Boeing plans to fit with new fuel-saving engines subject to the approval of its board.

Wells Fargo Securities said in a note on Monday that its own analysis of AMR filings pointed to a purchase price of around USD$30 million for the A320neo or re-engined 737, adding this could even work out at USD$27 million in today's dollars.

The brokerage said this compared with third-party appraisal values of USD$45 million for the existing model of Boeing 737-800.

Aircraft manufacturers typically sell at discounts and prices are seen as especially keen when a new product is being launched. However, Wells Fargo said the prices which it had deduced from AMR securities filings would be "outstanding".

Competition to win the American deal was seen as intense.

Aircraft analyst Scott Hamilton of Leeham reported during negotiations that the planes could be valued at USD$30 million.

Airbus Updates No.370

IBERIA ORDER 8 AIRBUS A330 AIRCRAFT WITH OPTIONS ON 8 MORE

IAG group today announced that they have ordered 8 Airbus A330 Aircraft and taken options on 8 more. The aircraft are to be dlievered to and operated by Iberia on routes to South America......Aircraft deliveries are to commence in the second quarter of 2013

The aircraft will replace the A340 aircraft currently operated by the airline on a one for one basis...

Engines will be provided by GE

Airbus Updates No.369

Airbus to acquire Satair A/S

 

Acquisition of Satair A/S – a leading aviation after-market distributor – will significantly enhance Airbus’ services offering in aircraft material management

Airbus has signed an agreement with the Board of Directors of Satair A/S for the launch of a voluntary conditional tender offer with a cash price of DKK 580 per share of a nominal value of DKK 20

This transaction represents a total consideration of DKK 2,595 million (US$ 504 m) and will be financed through EADS existing cash balances • Satair has undertaken to recommend the offer to its shareholders

subject to and upon publication of the offer document • Satair’s shareholders representing approximately 16% of Satair’s

shares have committed to accept the offer under certain conditions

Airbus Updates No.368

Airbus A318

-112CJ

4169

OE-LUX

Comlux Austria

seen re-regd at BSL 26jul11

ex 9H-AFT

Airbus A320

-214

1473

EI-IKF

Alitalia

ferried 26/27jul11 FCO-LHR-FCO for re-registration

ex I-BIKF

Airbus A320

-214

1390

6V-

Senegal Airlines

in full cs 21jul11 at SNN, M-reg, Vladivostok Avia VQ-BKL ntu

ex M-ABDT

Airbus A320

-232

3162

SX-DGI

Aegean Airlines

re-regd in svc since 19jul11

ex SX-OAI

Airbus A320

-214

4794

D-ABFV

Air Berlin

delivery 27jul11 XFW-DXB, all white, sold to Shenzhen Airlines as B-6782

ex D-AVVQ

Airbus A340

-313

123

B-HXM

Cathay Pacific

ferried 25jul11 HKG-XMN for paint for Aerolineas Argentinas

ex 9V-SJA

Airbus Updates No.367

Airbus A310

-324F

684

M-YRGR

Nilgiri Hills Leasing

ferried 26jull1 OPO-GIG in basic Deccan 360 cs

ex VT-AIN

Airbus A320

-214

4775

B-6773

Air China

delivery 26jul11 TLS-SVX-PEK

ex F-WWDJ

Airbus A340

-311

2

G-VHOL

Virgin Atlantic

ferried 26jul11 MNL-LDE for storage prior delivery to?

ex F-WWAS

Saudi Royal Flight A340 HZ-HMS2 is now in service

Airbus Updates No.366

Malaysian Airlines A330-323X 9M-MTD c/n 1234

Air France A320-214 F-HBNH c/n 4800

Avianca A320-214 N763AV c/n 4763

AirPhil Express A320-214 RP-C8393 c/n 4777

Air France A320-214 F-HBNC c/n 4601

Air France A320-214 F-HBNG c/n 4747

Airbus Updates No.365

Airbus Updates No.364

Airbus A330

-223

1002

JY-AIG

Royal Jordanian

in full cs at HAM 22jul11, dual reg prior delivery

ex EI-ESA

Airbus Updates No.363

Air France-KLM Board To Meet On 100 Plane Order

July 22, 2011

Air France-KLM's board will meet on July 27 to discuss an order for 100 long-haul aircraft to be split between Airbus and Boeing, La Tribune reported without saying where it got the information.
The airline group is looking for 100 lightweight, fuel-saving aircraft in the mid-sized 250-300 seat range and is comparing the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with the future Airbus A350.
The paper said half the orders would be firm and the rest options, adding that the order would be split between Airbus and Boeing and would be announced in September.
Air France-KLM said earlier this month it hoped to announce the results of the contest during the summer. Officials at the airline have said the order was likely to be split between the two manufacturers.
The order would be worth around USD$25 billion at list prices, but airlines negotiate discounts when renewing their fleets.
Air France-KLM declined to comment.
The airline, Europe's largest by revenue is 15.7 percent state owned. It has come under pressure from members of the French parliament to order planes from Toulouse-based Airbus, instead of Boeing.

Airbus Updates No.362

Airbus A310

-304

499

10+22

Luftwaffe

ferried 21jul11 CGN-KBP in basic cs on delivery to?

ex D-AOAB

Airbus A319

-111

4764

EI-IMN

Alitalia

delivery 21jul11 XFW-FCO

ex D-AVYG

Airbus A320

-231

428

EY-623

East Air

in svc at DXB 20jul11 with Daallo titl, Kam Air cs

ex N428MX

Airbus A320

-214

4767

CC-BAO

LAN Airlines

delivery 22-23jul11 XFW-LPA-REC-SCL

ex F-WWBZ

Airbus A320

-214

4777

RP-C8393

AirPhil Express

delivery 22jul11 TLS-DXB

ex F-WWDN

Airbus Updates No.361

Incident: Saudia A333 near Athens on Jul 14th 2011, instrument failures

A Saudi Arabian Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration HZ-AQD performing flight SV-129 from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) with 187 people on board, was enroute at FL360 about 125nm northwest of Athens (Greece) when the crew decided to divert to Athens due to multiple failures of instruments. On approach to Athens ATC repeatedly inquired whether the aircraft would be able to fly the localizer and glideslope and finally cleared the aircraft to intercept the localizer or perform a visual approach to Athen's runway 03L. The airplane performed a safe overweight landing on Athen's runway 03L. The airplane was able to depart again after about 4.5 hours on the ground and reached Paris with a delay of 5.5 hours. The crew reported 187 souls on board, the airline's website stated 168 passengers on board. Incident: Avianca A320 at Miami on Jul 16th 2011, bird strike   An Avianca Airbus A320-200, registration N451AV performing flight AV-39 from Miami,FL (USA) to Cali (Colombia), was accelerating for takeoff when the right hand engine (CFM56) ingested a bird just above V1. The crew continued takeoff, climbed to 5000 feet and reported the right hand engine showed high vibrations. The engine was now running at reduced thrust. The aircraft returned to Miami's runway 09 for a safe landing about 30 minutes after departure. The FAA reported the engine received minor damage. Incident: Air Transat A313 at Montreal on Jul 18th 2011, could not retract flaps   An Air Transat Airbus A310-300, registration C-GSAT performing flight TS-414 from Montreal,QC (Canada) to Marseille (France) with 244 people on board, could not retract the flaps. The crew levelled off at 11,000 feet, burned off fuel and landed safely back on Montreal's runway 24R about 36 minutes after departure. A replacement Airbus A310-300 registration C-FDAT reached Marseille with a delay of 4 hours. The Canadian TSB reported a bearing was found stuck and was replaced. Incident: Ural A320 near Ekaterinburg on Jul 19th 2011, hydraulic failure   A Ural Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration VQ-BFW performing flight U6-3736 from Bourgas (Bulgaria) to Ekaterinburg (Russia) with 119 people on board, was enroute at 10100 meters (FL331) shortly before reaching top of descent when the crew reported the failure of one of three hydraulic systems on board. The crew continued to Ekaterinburg's Koltsovo Airport for a safe landing about 30 minutes later Incident: Wizzair A320 at Budapest on Jul 19th 2011, hydraulic problem, could not fully retract gear   A Wizzair Airbus A320-200, registration HA-LPB performing flight W6-2209 from Budapest (Hungary) to London Luton,EN (UK) with 174 passengers, was climbing out of Budapest's runway 13R when the crew selected the gear up but did not receive a gear up and locked indication for all gear struts as result of hydraulic problems. The aircraft levelled off at FL150 and entered a holding to burn off fuel before the aircraft returned to land on runway 13L about 55 minutes after departure. A replacement aircraft is estimated to depart Budapest with a delay of 5 hours. Incident: TAM A332 near Miami on Jul 19th 2011, smell of smoke in cabin   A TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A330-200, registration PT-MVB performing flight JJ-9399 from Orlando,FL (USA) to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil), was enroute at FL370 about 80nm southeast of Miami,FL (USA) when the crew declared PAN PAN PAN, reported smell of smoke in the cabin and requested to divert to Miami. The airplane landed safely on Miami's runway 09 about 20 minutes later and vacated the runway. The airline reported some technical problem, the passengers were accomodated in Miami and rebooked onto other flights. The incident aircraft operated flight JJ-8091 from Miami to Sao Paulo departing Miami about 7 hours after landing

Airbus Updates No.360

Incident: Korean A380 HL7611 at Tokyo on Jul 21st 2011, engine pod strike

A Korean Air Airbus A380-800, registration HL7611 performing flight KE-701 from Seoul (South Korea) to Tokyo Narita (Japan) with 168 people on board, landed on Tokyo's runway 34L at a right bank angle sufficient to have the outboard right engine's pod contact the runway surface. The airplane rolled out safely at around 11:20L (02:20Z) and taxied to the apron. The airport reported the runway was closed for about 20 minutes for a runway inspection which revealed scratch marks on the runway surface. Following checks the aircraft was able to perform its return flight KE-702 normally reaching Seoul with a delay of one hour.

Airbus Updates No.359

Airbus A319

-132

2648

N648BV

AerCap

regd 20jul11, for Bangkok Airways

ex PK-VYA

Airbus A319

-111

4764

EI-IMN

Alitalia

delivery 21jul11 XFW-FCO

ex D-AVYG

Airbus A320

-211

112

9Q-CCA

CAA - Compagnie Africaine d

in svc in full cs at FKI early jul11

ex N101LF

Airbus A320

-211

342

N342DK

AAR A/c Sales & Leasing

ferried 20jul11 MPL-SNN-BGR after storage

ex F-WCIB

Airbus A320

-214

1553

D-ALTF

Air Berlin

ferried 20jul11 TXL-SNN, all white, for paint into full cs

ex OE-LTV

Airbus A320

-214

4763

N763AV

Avianca

delivery 20-21jul11 TLS-TFS-FOR-BOG

ex F-WWBU

Airbus A330

-322

87

TC-OCD

Onur Air

delivery 16jul11 SIN-IST, no titl, basic Saudi Arabian cs

ex VN-A368

Airbus Updates No.358

Airbus Open To New Output Increase

July 20, 2011

Airbus is ready to look "seriously" at boosting A320 narrow-body production beyond an already record target, but has not yet committed to this, its chief executive said on Wednesday.
Speaking in the United States after celebrating a major order from American Airlines, CEO Tom Enders said a boom in plane production was fed by genuine demand.
Asked whether a spate of recent sales committed Airbus to revising up its production targets, Enders said, "We have not committed to it but we will seriously look into that.
"If somebody had asked me a year ago whether we should seriously consider looking above 42, 44 or 50 I would have said 'you must be out of your mind,' but we are having a big success in the marketplace and this is real -- we are not producing overcapacity."
He added, "We are certainly looking at much more significant ramp-up targets than we hitherto did."
Airbus has set plans to lift production to 42 narrow-body planes a month and said in May it was considering 44.
Enders told a news conference on Wednesday Airbus had always been "prudent" about production and would continue to be so.
Boeing commercial planes CEO Jim Albaugh said uncertainty over the ability of the production system to cope with a completely new plane had contributed to Boeing's decision to follow Airbus and put new engines on the 737, which competes with the Airbus A320, rather than attempt a complete overhaul.

Airbus Updates No.357

American Orders 460 Boeing, Airbus Planes

July 20, 2011

American Airlines parent AMR plans to buy 460 narrow-body Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s beginning in 2013, calling it the "largest aircraft order in aviation history."
It plans to buy 200 Boeing 737s, with options for another 100 737s. It also plans to buy 260 Airbus A320s and will have 365 options and purchase rights for additional aircraft.
American said it would receive about USD$13 billion in financing provided by the manufacturers through lease transactions.
American Airlines said on Wednesday it has the option to convert the new deliveries into variants within the 737 family, including the 737-700, 737-800 and 737-900ER.
The airline also intends to order 100 of Boeing's expected new version of the 737NG, with a new engine. This plane would be powered by CFM International's LEAP-X engine, the airline said.
The market for narrow-body jet sales is estimated at USD$2 trillion over 20 years and is split between Boeing and Airbus, whose A320 has made substantial US inroads.
Airbus said last year it would put a more fuel-efficient engine on its A320 family and call it "A320neo." The A320neo aircraft is scheduled to enter service in late 2015.
AMR reported a net loss of USD$286 million for the second quarter, compared with a year-ago loss of USD$11 million.

Airbus Updates No.356

American Airlines acquires 260 Airbus A320 Family aircraft

 

U.S.-based global carrier becomes latest customer for Airbus’ market-leading, single-aisle aircraft

Airbus and American Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AMR Corporation, have signed a firm contract for American to acquire 260 modern, fuel-efficient Airbus A320 Family aircraft.  The contract calls for flexibility for the airline to take delivery of A319s, A320s and A321s, with 130 featuring Airbus’ New Engine Option (neo).  All 260 aircraft will feature large, fuel-saving wingtip devices known as Sharklets.

The deal between Airbus and American was announced today at the airline’s Dallas/Ft. Worth hub.  The airline plans to announce its choice of engines to power the aircraft at a later date.

“We are pleased to add the Airbus single-aisle family as an important component of our fleet modernization strategy,” said AMR and American Airlines President Tom Horton. “The A320 Family of aircraft will help us achieve improved fuel efficiency and other operational savings, while offering our customers state-of-the-art technology and an enhanced travel experience. We look forward to a successful partnership with Airbus.” 

“We are extremely proud and gratified once again to count American Airlines among Airbus’ global customers,” said Airbus President and CEO Tom Enders. “The order by American represents a strong endorsement of our constantly improving single-aisle product line. All of us at Airbus look forward to seeing the American Airlines livery on A320 Family aircraft – and we look forward to fulfilling our commitment to providing the people of American, as well as their passengers, with the highest level of support and service in the industry.” 

The A320 Family is recognized as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. The aircraft feature the latest technology available today, the widest and most comfortable cabin, and the highest degree of operational commonality. With 99.7% reliability and extended servicing periods, the A320 Family has the lowest operating costs of any single-aisle aircraft today. More than 4700 A320 Family aircraft are in airline operation around the world today.

The A320neo, launched in late 2010, is the latest product innovation at Airbus. These new A319, A320 and A321 models feature a choice of two new engines – the PurePower PW1100G from Pratt & Whitney or the LEAP-X from CFM International. Together, the Sharklets and new engine choices result in a 15 percent fuel burn reduction, corresponding to an annual carbon dioxide reduction of 3,600 metric tons per aircraft. Compared to prior-generation narrowbody aircraft, the fuel savings could easily amount to up to 30 percent. Since launching the innovative product in December of last year, Airbus has received orders and commitments for almost 1200 A320neo Family aircraft.

Airbus is the leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive family of airliners on the market, ranging in capacity from 100 to more than 500 seats. More than 10,700 Airbus aircraft have been sold to more than 440 customers and operators worldwide, and more than 6,700 have been delivered since the company first entered the market in the early seventies.

Airbus Updates No.355

Airbus A318

-121

3216

PR-AVO

Avianca Brasil

arrv CGH 18jul11 in full cs on delivery

ex CC-CVN

Airbus A319	-132	4774		TC-JLY	Turkish Airlines	delivery 20jul11 XFW-IST	ex D-AVYK
Airbus A319	-111	4785		G-EZGO	easyJet	delivery 20jul11 XFW-BRS	ex D-AVYW

many thanks for the update on the above to EZYTIM

Airbus Updates No.354

According to some reports in America this evening Airbus are in the frame for the Whole order of 200+ aircraft which would send shock waves through Boeing....More pro US News corps are saying a 50/50 split between A320 and 737 aircraft....we will see hopefully tomorrow

American Airlines Said to Review Splitting Order Between Airbus, Boeing

Q

 

The order under study would be for as many 280 single-aisle planes, people familiar with the matter said last month.

AMR Corp. (AMR)’s American Airlines may split a narrow-body jet order between Airbus SAS and Boeing Co. (BA), which made last-minute pitches before a board meeting that starts tonight, three people familiar with the matter said.
American executives haven’t settled on a recommendation to directors, said one of the people, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly. Talks continued today, two people said, as teams from the planemakers worked from hotels near AMR headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas.
The order under study would be for at least 200 single- aisle planes, with the total still being negotiated, one person said today. A transaction of that size would be at least $16.2 billion at list prices, based on the $80.8 million retail value of Boeing’s 737-800. Airbus’s A320 jets cost more.
Buying new fuel-efficient planes would help AMR as it struggles to end two straight annual losses. A shift from American’s all-Boeing main jet fleet also would be a boost for Toulouse, France-based Airbus by expanding the planemaker’s U.S. foothold in the narrow-body jet market.
American is leaving open a possible winner-take-all decision for either planemaker or dividing the deal, one of the people said. Management also hasn’t made a recommendation on the future of the Eagle regional airline, one person said.
Mike Tull, a spokesman for Chicago-based Boeing; Ryan Mikolasik, an outside spokesman for American, and Airbus’s Mary Anne Greczyn declined to comment.

Role of Financing

Boeing’s ability to win a piece of the plane order from American, the third-largest U.S. airline, may rest on whether it can provide financing that matches Airbus’s offer, one of the people said.
American and Airbus have discussed having the planemaker lease some of the jets to the carrier instead of selling them, cutting American’s up-front costs, two people familiar with the matter said. Airbus would then get the planes off its books by selling them to leasing companies, the people said.
An Airbus sales team worked from a hotel in the Dallas suburb of Irving to press its case with American, one person said, as negotiations continued ahead of an AMR board meeting beginning tonight. Boeing’s commercial airplanes chief, Jim Albaugh, visited American last week, saying he had a “good meeting” with Chief Executive Officer Gerard Arpey.

Options Open

While one person said that Airbus had a tentative agreement with American for the full order last month, another said talks never got that far, with the airline keeping all its options open.
The 737 is the world’s most widely flown airliner and competes with the A320 family. The A320 has a list price of $85 million, with the A320neo model with upgraded engines costing about $6.2 million more, according to the planemaker.
Airbus plans a 2015 start for shipments of the neo, a plane that has become the company’s fastest seller since its unveiling in December. Airlines crave fuel economy because jet fuel is, with labor, one of their biggest costs.
AMR fell 11 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $4.80 at 12:34 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares tumbled 37 percent this year before today. AMR may post an adjusted second-quarter loss tomorrow of 75 cents a share, the average of 13 estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
New 737s or A320s would help American retire its 216 Boeing MD-80s, the most-numerous type among the carrier’s 613-plane main jet fleet. The MD-80s are among the oldest models at major U.S. airlines, with many flying for more than 20 years, and burn more fuel than the 737s American has on order.
American’s last flight with an Airbus plane came in August 2009, with an A300, which is no longer in production. At the end of March, American had 10 of the twin-engine, wide-body planes on its books as leased or owned but not in operation.

Airbus Updates No.353

Airbus A319

-111

4787

G-EZGP

easyJet

delivery 19jul11 XFW-STN

ex D-AVYX

Airbus A320

-233

743

RP-C8994

Zest Airways

at DUB 17jul11 in full cs prior delivery

ex N416AC

Airbus A320

-214

4304

XA-ING

InterJet

delivery 18jul11 GYR-TUS-TLC in full cs

ex OE-IAY

Airbus A321

-211

1503

TC-ATB

AtlasJet

delivery 18jul11 SNN-IST

ex 6Y-JMH

Airbus A321

-231

4783

VN-A326

Vietnam Airlines

delivery 19jul11 XFW-BAK-HAN

ex D-AVZM

Airbus Updates No.352

AMR a Battle Ground For Boeing And Airbus

July 16, 2011

American Airlines, which once pledged loyalty to Boeing, has let Airbus back into the room for negotiations on a potentially huge contract that could have far-reaching implications for the plane makers as well as the third-largest US airline.
By playing Boeing off its top rival, American hopes to win juicy concessions from the winner. And a split order, potentially worth more than USD$20 billion, could result in a mixed narrow-body fleet that positions American Airlines for a merger down the road.
For Airbus, this is a chance to make inroads in the United States with a customer that once publicly committed to buying only Boeing planes for 22 years.
For Boeing, there is mostly risk in terms of orders and its ability to hold the line in its home country while the four-largest US carriers gear up to place orders worth billions of dollars.
"Airbus has a shot. They have a very good shot at American," said Jack Stelzer, president of Worldwide Transportation Group, an airline consulting company in Texas.
HIGH LEVEL TALKS
Boeing and Airbus are in high-level talks with American Airlines for an order for more than 250 narrow-body jets. The talks could culminate in a proposal by American Airlines executives to their board of directors next week. AMR has declined to discuss its upcoming orders.
The discussions come at an awkward time for Boeing as it decides how to upgrade its best-selling 737 narrow-body -- the aircraft it wants to sell to American. Boeing is debating whether to redesign the 737 or simply put a new engine on the current design. A full redesign would be more fuel-efficient but would take longer to bring to market.
Airbus has already said it would re-engine its competing A320. The European plane maker has won firm orders for 668 neos worth USD$61.4 billion, and has lined up 361 provisional orders worth USD$33.4 billion, partly by wooing customers unwilling to wait for Boeing to decide.
Boeing says its customers want a new 737, but it has put off the decision repeatedly while it assesses its ability to redesign the plane.
"There are a number of people, who are clearly forcing Boeing to make a decision. On the other hand, Boeing has a lot to lose by making the wrong decision," said Adam Pilarski, senior vice president at AVITAS, an airline consulting company that also works with aircraft lessors and lenders.
"All the answers are at Boeing," Pilarski said. "I'm not saying they have it. But it's Boeing's (order) to lose."
WHY NOW?
American Airlines last ordered Airbus planes in the late 1980s but declared in 1996 that Boeing would be its exclusive provider until 2018. Flying a single-brand fleet cuts the cost of aircraft maintenance and crew training.
The airline had a nasty dispute with Airbus after the fatal crash of American Airlines flight 587 in 2001 in New York, trading jabs in public over the cause of the crash of the jet, an A300-600. American Airlines pulled its last Airbus plane from service in 2009.
Today, the company's website shows a fleet of 619 planes, mostly made by Boeing and the former McDonnell Douglas, which Boeing bought in 1997. AMR has been replacing the gas-guzzling MD-80s with 737s for several years.
Recently, the airline's loyalty to Boeing has worn thin. AMR chief executive Gerard Arpey said in 2008 that the company would consider the next-generation narrow-body offerings of both Airbus and Boeing.
American Airlines is considered by many airline experts to be the weakest major US airline financially. It is the only US airline in the top five expected to posted a second-quarter loss.
American Airlines was leapfrogged in size last year by United Continental Holdings after United bought Continental. Airline mergers have lent stability to the industry.
But AMR was left out of the last round of consolidation. Some experts believe the company, which reduced its debt and tweaked routes to lure well-heeled business passengers, eventually will make a bid for US Airways. US Airways has a mixed fleet that tilts heavily toward Airbus.
PRESSURE ON BOEING
Earlier this week, Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive Jim Albaugh confirmed the talks with American Airlines, saying: "We're going to do whatever American wants us to do." But he made it clear once again that Boeing would not rush a decision on upgrading the 737.
Robert Mann, an airline consultant and former AMR fleet planner, said American wants to force Boeing to commit to a redesigned 737 that would trump the Airbus neo's fuel efficiency by using elements of the upcoming carbon-composite 787 Dreamliner.
"They're shopping for Boeing to commit to an aircraft with better economics than either 737 (Next Generation) or A320neo," Mann said.
And as Airbus encroaches on Boeing's home turf, the pressure mounts on the US plane maker to re-engine its 737 if only to halt the Airbus advance.
Industry sources noted innovative proposals by Airbus to break into the US market in the past, including in 1987 when it offered American the chance to hand back its 35 newly ordered A300-600 aircraft with 30 days' notice if it did not like them.
Airbus showed it ability to break the door down at other airlines with ground-breaking "buy it if you like it" deals giving them flexibility to confirm the bulk of a large order only after taking delivery of a handful of jets.
"That was in the early days; we don't do those sorts of deals today," a source familiar with Airbus's strategy said. That said, there is no doubt in the Airbus camp that winning the first American order in 24 years at a time when Boeing is perceived to be hesitating over its strategy would be a major coup.

Airbus Updates No.351

Airbus Updates No.350

Airbus A319

-112

3331

VQ-BNF

Tatarstan Aircompany

ferried 15jul11 SNN-WOE after paint, N-reg prior delivery

ex N331BV

Airbus A320

-232

667

RP-C8993

Zest Airways

delivery 16jul11 DUB-ATH-DXB

ex N403AC

Airbus A320

-232

4751

B-6762

China Southern

delivery 16jul11 XFW-OVB

ex D-AVVM

Airbus A320

-214

4770

UK32019

Uzbekistan Airways

delivery 15jul11 TLS-TAS

ex F-WWDC

Airbus Updates No.349

Airbus A318

-112CJ

4503

OE-ICE

Jet Alliance

delivery 14jul11 XFW-CPH-XFW

ex F-WHUG

Airbus A320

-211

120

G-BUSK

British Airways

ferried 14jul11 LGW-LDE for storage

ex F-WWIN

Airbus A320

-231

361

UR-

Khors Air

delivery 14jul11 GYR-TUS-YYR-OST-.KBP, N-reg

ex N361DA

Airbus A320

-232

667

RP-C8993

Zest Airways

delivery 14jul11 DUB-ATH-DXB

ex N403AC

Airbus A320

-214

1121

TS-INA

Eritrean Airlines

positioned 13jul11 MIR-ASM, ops by Nouvelair

ex F-WWBT

Airbus A320

-233

4758

CC-BAN

LAN Airlines

delivery 13-14jul11 TLS-LPA-REC-SCL

ex F-WWBP

Airbus A330

-202MRTT

980

Royal Saudi Air Force

ferried 12jul11 LEGT-TLS 12jul11, after conversion in primer, regd MRTT010

ex EC-338

Airbus A330

-243F

1115

B-LNX

Hong Kong Airlines

delivery 13-14jul11 TLS-DXB-HKG

ex F-WWKO

Airbus Updates No.348

Airbus A380

-861

39

HL7612

Korean Air

delivery 13jul11 TLS-ICN

ex F-WWAZ

Above Korean Air A380 confirmed on its delivery flight and noted over stansted airport at 38000 feet at 1849 hours this evening.......................

Airbus Updates No.347

Incident: United Airlines A320 near Tucson on Jul 10th 2011, engine vibration

A United Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N408UA performing flight UA-810 from Cancun (Mexico) to Los Angeles,CA (USA), was enroute south of Tucson,AZ (USA) still over Mexico when an engine (V2527) began to vibrate beyond limits. The crew reduced the engine to idle and diverted to Tucson for a safe landing.

Airbus Updates No.346

EasyJet Founder Berates Company On Orders

July 13, 2011

EasyJet's largest shareholder, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has resumed a dispute with the company he founded, saying the low-cost carrier should consult investors before signing any deal for new planes.
In an 11-page letter sent to chairman Michel Rake this week, Haji-Ioannou, who has a 26 percent stake and wants easyJet to cut its fleet, said the board should have sought shareholder approval for an aircraft order made earlier this year.
In January, easyJet confirmed an order with Airbus for 15 A320 aircraft. It also secured options on a further 33 jets, strengthening its relationship with the European manufacturer.
"This incestuous relationship with Airbus developed by the directors has to come to an end and proper and transparent tenders have to be issued giving the opportunity to other aircraft manufacturers to compete for the company's business," Haji-Ioannou said.
The carrier has a fleet of 186 aircraft -- 184 of which are Airbus planes -- and has orders for a further 43 Airbus planes, including the A320s.
Haji-Ioannou said shareholder consent for the latest Airbus order should be obtained before the company made any further payment. If the board did not seek shareholder consent, Haji-Ioannou said he would call a general meeting and seek "the removal of a randomly selected non-executive director from the board" in a show of shareholder power.
The tycoon's relationship with easyJet's board has deteriorated in recent years and he voted against a resolution to approve directors' pay earlier this year.
Earlier this year, easyJet chief executive Carolyn McCall said the orders would help deliver its growth strategy.
EasyJet said on Wednesday: "The commercial value of the deal reflected substantially less than the current Airbus list prices for the aircraft."
The carrier said it intended to hold the size of its fleet at a maximum of 204 aircraft until at least the end of next year.

Airbus Updates No.345

Airbus A310	-304	499		10+22	Luftwaffe	ferried 13jul11 HAM-KBP in basic cs on delivery to?	ex D-AOAB
Airbus A318	-112CJ	4503		OE-ICE	Jet Alliance	ferried 12jul11 HAM-XFW after VIP-configuration prior delivery	ex F-WHUG
Airbus A318	-112CJ	4503		OE-ICE	Jet Alliance	delivery 13jul11 XFW-CPH-XFW	ex F-WHUG

Airbus A320

-231

428

EY-623

East Air

N-reg canx 11jul1, delivery 12jul11 GYR-YQX-ARN, Kam Air cs

ex N428MX

Airbus A320	-214	973		SP-IAC	Yes Airways	delivery 13jul11 MPL-WAW	ex F-GRSI
Airbus A320	-214	1121		TS-INA	Eritrean Airlines	positioned 13jul11 MIR-ASM, ops by Nouvelair	ex F-WWBT
Airbus A320	-214	2745		D-AHHC	Hamburg Airways	delivery 13jul11 SEN-HAM	ex EI-ERR

Airbus A320	-214	4730		XA-BIO	InterJet	delivery 13-14jul11 TLS-KEF-BGR-TLC	ex F-WWIL
Airbus A320	-232	4754		A7-AHI	Qatar Airways	delivery 12jul11 TLS-DOH	ex F-WWDA
Airbus A320	-233	4758		CC-BAN	LAN Airlines	delivery 13-14jul11 TLS-LPA-REC-SCL	ex F-WWBP

Airbus A320

-214

4765

B-6796

China Eastern

delivery 13jul11 TLS-SVX

ex F-WWBV

Airbus A330

-243

1237

B-6533

Air China

delivery 13jul11 TLS-PEK

ex F-WWKG