Low-Fare & Regional Airlines Vol 36 No 3 June/July 2019 www.laranews.net Lion Air Back in the game Beyond the boarding pass Airline passenger revenues Landing gears, wheels and brakes Fast and Furious Nothing but green skies ahead Gas turbines are more efficient than ever. And we’re making sure they get even more so. But Rolls-Royce is also working on tomorrow, pioneering hybrid-electric and all-electric power. This quiet revolution will soon offer the opportunity for more sustainable growth and reduced carbon emissions. It is the fundamental change we need to lower our collective impact on the environment. Pioneering the power that matters Find out more: rolls-royce.com/electrification 3 IN THIS ISSUE COVER 14 LION AIR Wheels of change: The quest is on to engineer Leader of the pack more robust, lighter and more efficient landing Lion Air and its sibling airlines have taken the Indonesian market by storm in recent years. Kimberley gear systems, wheels and brakes. Young follows the airline’s progress to the top and its response after the tragic events of last October. NEWS & FEATURES 4 COMMENT 37 LANDING GEAR SYSTEMS 52 REGIONAL FOCUS To infinity and beyond, via Paris… 797 is Strutting their stuff High potential behind a host of problems Boeing’s big play. Bernie Baldwin reports on the challenges Despite past political unrest and financial of making landing gear easier to maintain. issues, Argentina and Brazil are taking 6 NEWS the necessary steps towards developing “Niki” Lauda – a remarkable legacy; 40 ANCILLARY REVENUES competitive carriers for a growing domestic Bombardier to sell sites; Ryanair delays Revenue Raisers market need. its 737 MAX deliveries; Jet Airways’ chief The price of a ticket is now just a resigns; Canada highlights A220 fuel feed small part of the revenue income that 55 FIVE QUESTIONS TO… issues; Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation passengers provide for an airline. Emma … Embraer’s CEO John Slattery America heads back to court; Ethiopian Kelly investigates this growing extra On the current and future trends within Airlines helps launch Ghanaian national source of revenue. the regional aircraft market and how OEMs carrier; Sukhoi Superjet under pressure are upping their game to adapt to the after management changes to UAC board. challenging, yet exciting times ahead. 18 BRITTEN-NORMAN 57 AERO-TECH TRENDS Britten’s got talent Airbus; Lufthansa Technik; and LARA’s Glenn Sands spoke with the team Magnetic MRO. of the UK’s only remaining commercial aircraft manufacturer. 45 BOOKING, PRICING AND DISTRIBUTION 58 NEW APPOINTMENTS & EVENTS DIARY Keeping up with demand Airbus; Air Wisconsin Airlines; Allegiant; 25 ERA CONFERENCE PRAGUE 2019 Never has the demand for competitive Avianca Holdings; CDB Aviation; ExpressJet Connectivity and Confidence ticket pricing along with the capability to Airlines; Infare; JetBlue Airways; Porter Europe’s regional aviation sector gathered search and reserve quickly online been so Airlines; Pratt & Whitney. in the Czech capital for its annual widespread across the low-fare airlines. conference to discuss what procedures and plans are in place during these 49 REVENUE MANAGEMENT IN THE NEXT ISSUE turbulent times Revenue management goes dynamic l MRO Special and personal l Supply Chain, Parts and Logistics 30 PROPULSION SYSTEMS As airlines look to increase revenue beyond l Airframe Life Cycle Extension Electric dreams become reality just the ticket, Henry Canaday examines l Cabin Interiors The number of projects to deliver electric the wealth options and extras now being l Passenger Personalisation propulsion for airliners is growing. offered to passengers. l Paris Air Show Review laranews.net June/July 2019 LARA 4 COMMENT To infinity and beyond, via Paris… The Airbus A320 has the world’s fastest growing sales of any aircraft and is widely used for short-haul regional routes. EDITORIAL The success of this aircraft has been viewed with envy by Boeing. tel: +44 1252 545993 The US company readily admits that although its 737s could perform Editor: Glenn Sands [email protected] much of the same work, a further stretch in the 737’s development is Senior Reporter: Kimberley Young nearly impossible. The fuselage is already so long that it would scrape [email protected] the ground during take-off, and larger engines would clip the ground. Asia-Pacific Correspondent: Emma Kelly The 737 was designed with stairways in mind and is too low to the [email protected] ground to be practical to take bigger loads. ENERGY OF tel: +61 8 9291 9089 To compete with Airbus, the dated design of the 737 has to be left behind – and this is what Contributors: Bernie Baldwin, Henry Canaday. Boeing is doing. The 737 will be replaced by the 797 – details will be revealed at the upcoming ADVERTISING SALES & MARKETING AN INNOVATOR. tel: +44 1252 545993 Paris Air Show. Sales Manager: Toby Walton The Boeing 797, also dubbed the ‘New Mid-sized Aeroplane’, fills a hole in Boeing’s aircraft [email protected] line-up. Currently, there’s no aircraft in the 250-270 passenger range designed for short-haul HERITAGE OF Marketing and Communications Manager: Laura Andrews travel. The 797 would be bigger than the 737 MAX 10 but smaller than the long-haul 787-8. [email protected] Airlines want to add an aircraft suitable for high-capacity short-haul flights, such as routes PRODUCTION & DESIGN between large and geographically close cities like Chicago and New York. With its twin aisles, A LEGEND. tel: +44 1252 545993 the 797 will be able to board and disembark passengers far more quickly than the single-aisle Production and Design Editor: Steve Lodewyke aircraft like the 737 and A320. [email protected] A REVOLUTIONARY TOTAL TRAINING SOLUTION, Graphic Designer: Paul Firth As a new design and incorporating the latest technological innovations from the 777x and [email protected] the Dreamliner, the 797 will include composite structures to make it lighter and have a host of BACKED BY THE BEST IN AVIATION. CIRCULATION improved passenger comforts. Subscription Enquiries: TRU Simulation + Training is part of the Textron [email protected] Rolls Royce, who’ll be supplying the engines for the new aircraft, predict that 4,000 to 5,000 tel: +44 1252 545993 fax: +44 1252 408674 will be ordered during the next 20 years. family of brands, in company with Bell, Cessna, MANAGEMENT For Boeing, despite its current high-profile problems, it’s looking as though the future will be Beechcraft and Lycoming. Leveraging its [email protected] far more positive – and largely made of composites. Managing Director: Mark Howells connection to aviation leaders, TRU brings you Director: Becky Howells LARA is published six times per year – in February/March, April/May, Glenn Sands – Editor turnkey devices, courseware and ongoing support. June/July, August/September, October/November and December/ January – by HMG Aerospace Ltd. Distribution of LARA is carefully Discover cutting-edge training powered by decades controlled for industry-related individuals. Non-qualifiers can subscribe annually for £100. of experience. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of HMG Aerospace Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. Member of TRUsimulation.com Strategic partner © HMG Aerospace Ltd 2019 ISSN 1753-0598 HMG Aerospace Ltd 103 Mytchett Road, Mytchett, Surrey, GU16 6ES, United Kingdom Tel: +44 1252 545993 Fax: +44 1252 408674 TRANSFORM YOUR REALITY www.hmgaerospace.com LARA June/July 2019 @LARA_Editor © 2019 TRU Simulation + Training Inc. All Rights Reserved. ENERGY OF AN INNOVATOR. HERITAGE OF A LEGEND. A REVOLUTIONARY TOTAL TRAINING SOLUTION, BACKED BY THE BEST IN AVIATION. TRU Simulation + Training is part of the Textron family of brands, in company with Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft and Lycoming. Leveraging its connection to aviation leaders, TRU brings you turnkey devices, courseware and ongoing support. Discover cutting-edge training powered by decades of experience. TRUsimulation.com TRANSFORM YOUR REALITY © 2019 TRU Simulation + Training Inc. All Rights Reserved. 6 NEWS Bombardier to sell Belfast and Casablanca sites Bombardier announced in May that it will sell consolidation will simplify and better focus our Global 7500, the Canadian aircraft its aerostructures businesses in Belfast, UK, organisation on our leading brands – Global manufacturer’s top-of-the-range business jet, and Casablanca, Morocco, as part of Challenger, Learjet and the CRJ. It will allow us from US-based Triumph Group in January. consolidating its aerospace enterprise into a to better support our customers and generate The Global 7500 wing operations in Texas ‘single and fully integrated’ unit located at value for shareholders.” along with the facilities in Montreal, Canada, sites in Canada, Mexico and the US. A newly This is seen as part of a shakeup of and Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico, will created Bombardier Aviation division will Bombardier’s aviation business division. The provide Bombardier “with all the skills, incorporate both business aircraft and CRJ company has already sold its controlling stake technologies and capabilities to design, regional jets. in the C-Series narrowbody airliner to Airbus in produce and service the current and next “It is the right next step in our July 2018. This leaves the CRJ regional jet as generation of aircraft,” said Bellemare. transformation,” stated Alain Bellemare, the only remaining commercial aircraft Bombardier has stated it is “committed to Bombardier group president and CEO. “The programme for Bombardier Aerospace. It has finding the right buyer – one that will operate also sold its business aircraft training unit to responsibly and help us achieve our full CAE for US$645 million last year. Conversely, growth potential.” Both the Northern Ireland Bombardier acquired Red Oaks, the Texas- and Morocco sites had seen a significant based wing manufacturing operation for its increase in work from global customers in recent years.