Aircraft Supplier & MRO News

AirGuide Business, July 14, 2008

7/14/2008

ACTS Aero Technical

ACTS Aero Technical Support & Services, the former Air Canada Technical Services, is laying off 650 workers in response to declining MRO demand from Air Canada, the Canadian Press reported. According to the news service, the reductions will affect 250 fulltime employees and 400 others. Last month AC announced it will cut total system capacity by 7% year-over-year in this year's fourth quarter and the 2009 first quarter. 7/10/2008

Airbus, EADS, Mubadala

Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Development, an investment agency for the government of the world's fifth-largest oil producer, signed deals with Airbus parent EADS and engine maker Rolls Royce on Tuesday as the emirate dominated the world's largest air show. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways ordered planes worth USD$20 billion from Airbus and Boeing on Monday, highlighting a shift in economic power towards the Gulf as western carriers shunned Farnborough due to high oil prices. 7/15/2008

Airbus, EADS, Mubadala

European aerospace group EADS signed a supplier deal that will see lightweight composite aerostructures designed, developed and built in Abu Dhabi. EADS plans to work with Mubadala at its planned composites plant, due to start operations in 2010, to make the facility a key supplier for the next generation of commercial jets. The site would initially provide some parts for planes including the widebody Airbus A350 - 53 percent composite - and the A380 superjumbo - 25 percent composite. The cooperation is expected to generate over USD$1 billion in sales for Mubadala Aerospace over 10 years, the companies said. 7/15/2008

AirTran Airways

AirTran Airways has signed an exclusive agreement with JET Aircraft Maintenance Inc. to provide engine wash services, which the low-fare carrier says will help improve operating costs by saving on fuel. JET Aircraft Maintenance is a designated service provider of Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners EcoPower engine wash services. AirTran will use EcoPower on its fleet of 143 aircraft. Over time, AirTran expects the agreement to save about one million gallons of fuel annually because EcoPower washes reduce fuel burn by as much as 1.2 percent. This, the company said, will accrue to the bottom line at a time of soaring fuel prices. 7/16/2008

B/E Aerospace, Embraer

Airlines may be struggling with fuel costs, but a Wellington-based maker of aircraft interiors is flying high with new business in executive jets. B/E Aerospace announced Friday it won a $200 million contract from Embraer - Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A. Business jets represent 11.5 percent of B/E Aerospace's total sales. Under the new award, the company will supply products for Embraer's new business jets, Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 aircraft. 7/12/2008

CAE, Boeing, Delta Air Lines

CAE yesterday announced that the Boeing 777-300ER full-flight simulator it designed and manufactured for Delta Air Lines won Level D certification under US FAA Part 60. FAA implemented Part 60 in late May as an extension of its National Simulator Program to bolster qualification requirements for the use of flight simulation training devices. The CAE FFS, which is in operation at Delta's Atlanta training center, is the first to achieve this certification. 7/9/2008

CFMI

CFM Introduces Seal of Approval for Engines. With FAA having certified Pratt & Whitney-made life limited and other high value parts for the CFM56-3 engine, CFM International is fighting back with what amounts to a "seal of approval" program that it says will enhance the value of CFM engines that run on genuine CFM parts. CFMI launched the TRUEngine designation Sunday in response to demand from appraisers for more accurate information on the configuration and service history of in-service CFM56 engines. 7/14/2008

China Southern Airlines, Airbus, GE Aviation

China Southern Airlines ordered 20 A320s from Airbus to be powered by GE Aviation CFM56-5B engines and opted for a long-term material services agreement. Deliveries will run from 2009 to 2011. None of the parties released the value of the deal, but engine list prices suggest a tab of at least $240 million. 7/15/2008

Dubai Aerospace, Airbus, GE Aviation

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, the state-owned aircraft leasing, confirmed Tuesday a firm order for 100 Airbus planes worth US$12.6 billion (EUR7.88 billion) at list prices. DAE Capital's order for 30 wide-bodied A350-900 and 70 single aisle A320s follows a memorandum of understanding signed at the Dubai air show in November 2007. 7/15/2008

Etihad Airways, GE Aviation, Boeing

GE Aviation said Monday that it had booked almost $1.9 billion in new orders, at Farnborough Air Show, directly and through its partnerships. Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, ordered 10 Boeing 777s to be delivered in 2011 - all to be equipped with GE-90 engines worth $500 million. 7/15/2008

FlyDubai, Boeing, GE Aviation

FlyDubai, a low-cost carrier, placed a $700 million order for GE Aviation CFM56-7B engines to power 50 Boeing 737-800 and 737-900 jets. The government-owned startup airline will take delivery of aircraft in 2009 - when it begins operations - through 2016. 7/15/2008