ISSN 1718-7966 JANuARy 28, 2019/ VOL. 6753 WEEKLY AVIATION HEADLINES www.avitrader.com ...continued from page 1 United isWeekly also committed to improving Aviationthe entertainment options for include EnglishHeadline closed captioning. Select DIRECTVNews channels also include customers with disabilities. Earlier this year, the airline began offering closed captioning when the TV station makes it available. United con- a new main menu category on seatback on-demand that is labelled Ac- tinues to add additional accessible entertainment and screening op- WORLDcessible Entertainment. NEWS This new section makes it easier for custom- tions across its fleet. Qatarers withAirways hearing launches and vision cargo challenges to find accessible entertainment servicesoptions, to Almatygrouping all of the titles that are either audio descriptive or Unique highlights of United’s personal device entertainment program- Qatarclosed Airways captioned Cargo in hasone commain - menu category. Seatback on-demand is ming include: an exclusive partnership with VEVO, delivering new, cu- mencedone of freighter United’s operations entertainment to its options available on 757, 767, 777 and rated music video playlists each month; relaxation content including second787 aircraft.new destination The carrier in currently 2019, offers approximately 20 different Headspace, a popular meditation app and Moodica, which takes the Almatymovies in and Kazakhstan, TV shows thatoffering are audio descriptive and more than 50 that brain on a much-needed vacation using videos. more than 200 tonnes of capacity each week to the Kazakh city. The twice-weekly Boeing 777 freight- ers depart Doha on Thursdays andAIRCRAFT Sundays, arriving & ENGINE in Almaty NEWS Orders and deliveries – Boeing and Airbus A project is on the same day. On the return, now underway, the freighters arrive into Doha via within NATS’ AerCap leased, purchased and sold 114 Airbus v Boeing: Orders and Deliveries bespoke Hong Kong. Digital Tower aircraft in the first quarter of 2018 March 2018 YTD Laboratory at LHR. Britten-NormanAerCap has announced launches its major new business trans- Airbus Boeing leaseactions options during the first quarter of 2018. The Com- Photo: Type Orders Deliveries Type Orders DeliveriesHeathrow Britten-Norman,pany signed lease the agreements aircraft forman- 83 aircraft, Airport ufacturer,including 15has wide-body delivered aircraft the first and 68 narrow- A320 Family 37 95 737 171 132 aircraft from its newly established body aircraft. AerCap purchased sevenHeathrow aircraft, A330Airports trails-6 AI 8 747 14 2 leasing service. The company’s including two Airbus A320neo FamilyTechnology aircraft, will help cut delays leasingtwo Airbus arrangements A350s and threehave previBoeing- 787-9s and A340 0 0 767 7 4 ously been the preserve of cus- executed sale transactions for 24 aircraft,The includair -traffic A350management ser- the airport0 and surrounding17 land777- NATS is deploying5 20 ultra-high-12 tomers who are enjoying the ben- ing 11 Airbus A320 Family aircraft, fourvice, Airbus NATS has begun a trial to un- scape, but its height can also mean definition cameras at the airfield, efits of Britten-Norman’s bespoke A380 14 1 787 24 34 A330s, one Airbus A340, one Boeing 737derstand Classic, whether Artificial Intel- it disappears into low cloud, even the views from which are then fed aircraft delivery programme. The Total 45 121 Total 221 184 one Boeing 737NG, two Boeing 777-200ERsligence and (AI) could be used to help when the runways below are clear. into an AI platform called Aimee, new service is now open to any Source: Airbus Source: Boeing one Boeing 787-8 from AerCap’s ownedreduce port flight- delays. developed by the Canada-based qualifying customer that has a folio and two Airbus A320 Family aircraft and In those conditions, where the Searidge Technologies. The Aimee compatible leasing requirement, one Boeing 737 Classic from AerCap’s Amanaged project is nowAirbus underway, booke dwith orders- forcontrollers eight A320 have Family to relysingle-aisle on radar jetliners platform in the NEOcan interpret and CEO versionsthe images, be that based on a project, a sea- portfolio. The Company continues toin manage NATS’ 12 bespokeduring Digital March, Tower while deliveringto know 56if anaircraft arriving in the aircraft month hasfrom trackacross the the aircraft company’s and in-produc then inform- son or a long-term requirement. aircraft that were sold from its ownedLaboratory, portfolio at Heathtion single-aisle- and widebody product lines. the controller when during the quarter. AerCap has signed financing Boeing generated a total of 197 orders in March including a staggering 160 737s. Deliveries in Rome Fiumicino nets new route row Airport to test it has successfully transactions for US$2.9bn. the stated month reached 91 planes across the in-production product line. to Nairobi with Kenya Airways whether a combina- “Safety is always our top priority cleared the runway. Kenya Airways plans to launch four tion of ultra HD 4K and Artificial Intelligence is about The controller then weekly 787 direct flights to Rome cameras along with makes the decision to fromLion AirNairobi Group this orders June. Kenya 50 737 Air MAX- state-of-the-art 10 air- AI supporting air traffic controllers.” clear the next arrival. and machine learn- waysplanes had previously operated tified on Boeing’s Andy Taylor, Orders NATS & Deliveries Chief Solution website. OfficerJetBlue selects Pratt & Whitney Geared from Fiumicino until June 2012, ing technologyThe can Lion be Air Group was the first to put the 737 Turbofan™ engines NATS believes the sys- andBoeing with and the the resumption Lion Air Group of flights have announcedused to help MAX improve 8 into service and the first to order the 737 tem will help the air- tothe Italy, airline this has will purchased bring the 50 destina of Boeing’s- the new airport’s 737 MAX landing 9. Last capacity month, inthe Groupleft the became runway, the extra first timeJetBlue is given Airways port hasreclaim selected all the the lost Geared capacity. Tur- tionsMAX 10the airplanes. SkyTeam Thecarrier deal, serves valued in attimes approxi of- lowto visibility take delivery and improve of a 737 betweenMAX 9, using each thelanding air- tobofan™ ensure (GTF) engine to power an additional Europemately US$6.24bnto five and at 55 list worldwide. prices, is thepunctuality. largest plane’s added capacity to launchits safety. several The internaresult -is a 4520% Airbus loss A320neoAndy Taylor, family NATS aircraft. Chief SolutionWith the Withincremental this new order service, to date Kenya of the Air -MAX 10 vari- tional routes. of landing capacity, whichairline’s creates previous Officer, order said: of “Safety 40 GTF-powered is always our waysant. The will order offer was connections previously listedfrom asHeathrow’s uniden- 87-metre-tall control delays for passengers andA320neo knock- familytop aircraft,priority JetBlueand Artificial has now comIntel- Rome via its Nairobi hub to its 43 tower is the highest in the UK and on disruption for the rest of the ligence is about supporting air destinations in Africa. provides commanding views of operation. Continued on page 3 Followed by Thousands of Industry Professionals e-magazine Industry insight, analysis and news Free subscription straight to your inbox every month Get latest edition>> Contact us about Advertising Opportunities Jenny Vogel, Sales Director [email protected] +49 (0)8761 346007 January 2018 Edition 3 Weekly Aviation Headline News ...continued from page 1 traffic controllers. While they remain the de- “Right now, we’re focusing on when the con- The trial is part of a £2.5 million investment cision makers at the heart of the operation, trol tower is in low cloud, where I’m confi- NATS has made in a ‘digital tower laboratory’ we can use it to provide new tools that help dent we can make a very positive difference, located inside the Heathrow control tower. them make the best possible decisions and but I am convinced that this technology can There, it is working with the airport to under- improve efficiency and safety. totally revolutionise how air traffic is man- stand how technology could support the air aged at airports around the world.” traffic operation now and in the future. AIRCRAFT & ENGINE NEWS Lessors struggle to repossess jets from Avianca escalates Air Lease Corporation places one Boeing 737 MAX 9 on lease with Samoa Airways Air Lease Corporation has announced the lease placement of one new Boeing 737 MAX 9 air- craft on long-term lease with Samoa Airways, the flag carrier airline of Samoa. The aircraft will feature two CFM LEAP-1B27 engines and is scheduled to deliver in Spring 2019 from ALC’s order book with Boeing. “This will be the first new Boeing 737 MAX 9 in the South Pacific region and will operate a frequent schedule from Samoa to Australia and New Zealand,” said Matthew Stevens, Assistant Vice President of Air Lease Corporation. “We are delighted to lease this new Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet from ALC for our flagship international routes, offering the most modern and economical aircraft for our airline,” said Alvin Tuala, Chief Executive Of- Photo: AirTeamImages ficer of Samoa Airways. At least 20 jets are at the center of a struggle by lessors to obtain possession after the ailing Brazilian airline fell behind with lease payments. Last Friday (Jan.18) Brazil’s aviation regulator SAS expands fleet with lease of three ANAC confirmed it would no longer ground ten jets, while another lessor ramped up its ef- A321LR aircraft forts to take possession of a further ten aircraft. Both Aircastle Ltd and General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) have struggled to take back possession of these aircraft after Avi- SAS has signed a leasing agreement with ALC anca filed for bankruptcy protection back in December 2018. Last Thursday ANAC confirmed (Air Lease Corporation) which means SAS will it would ground ten aircraft at the request of GECAS, but a day later advised it was no longer expand its aircraft fleet with three Airbus prepared to intervene in the dispute.