Singapore Airlines’ latest disappointing financial results are ringing the alarm bells (“Singapore Airlines disappoints“, 20th May, 13). At first glance, Singapore Airlines (SIA) posted a 12.8% increase in FY2012/13 full-year profit to S$379 million (US$299.8 million) from S$335.9 million in the prior fiscal year on a 1.4% rise in revenue to S$15.1 billion from S$14.86 billion a year earlier. The operating profit for its namesake unit also improved by 3.3% …Read More
Japan Airlines flies into a ‘new sky’
Japan Airlines (JAL) is a black swan, or more precisely, a red crane called “tsurumaru” in the airline industry. It is nothing short of a remarkable turnaround story, a rarity in a highly competitive industry that saw national champions such as Malev go bankrupt and Air France, Iberia and the likes struggle to compete against an onslaught of low-cost carriers (LCCs) that have placed significant pressure on these legacy carriers’ …Read More
Boeing 777X to spark mini-jumbo war
GE9X to feature 16 blades, versus 18 on GEnx engines Folding wingtip to be operated hydraulically Folding wingtip to improve lift-to-drag by 12% Folding wingtip 800lbs weight penalty, against 777-200′s 3,200lbs 777X to remain ICAO Code E aircraft on aprons 787-styled tail fin, elimination of overwing exit confirmed Elimination of overwing exit saves 1,000lbs of weight 787-styled larger dimmable windows, lower cabin altitude being studied 777-8X & -9X range boosted …Read More
Boeing 777X & 787-10X unfazed by 787 battery woes
787-10 ‘Gate 4′ formal launch still planned in June 2013 Time between start of final assembly & flight testing on 787-9 narrowed to 4 months Folding wingtip decided for 777X 800lbs weight penalty for 777X folding wingtip, compared to 3,200lbs for 777-200 study in 1995 Folding wingtip contains no moveable parts, to be operated electrically 777X has same wing span as 777-300ER on the ground & stay as ‘Code E’ …Read More
Optimism returns to aviation
There is renewed optimism for the airline industry, going by the latest industry body Geneva-based International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecast that 2013 will see an improvement in global airline profitability from US$6.7 billion to US$8.4 billion. This has been revised from an earlier estimate of US$7.5 billion. IATA chief economist Brian Pearce said: “I think we are past the low point, which was earlier this year.” The positive mood …Read More
Boeing 787 Dreamliner programme starts to soar
Following the Boeing 787 Dreamliner roll-out in Everett, Washington for the first time on 8th July, 2007, the Chicago-based airframer suffered perennial delays on the game-changing mid-sized, long-range widebody aircraft programme, ranging from delays caused by a delamination in the 787′s side-of-body area to an in-flight fire in November 2010 over Laredo, Texas due to a foreign object debris (FOD) in the P100 electrical panel that prompted a redesign in …Read More
Boeing 787 could revolutionise US long-haul market
When the first Boeing 787-8 entered service with Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) in September 2011, it marked the beginning of a new era in long-haul international travel, not unlike the introduction of the Boeing 767 on medium-haul international routes back in the 1990s. In the period since then, many more 787s have been built and delivered (Boeing has built 66 787s at press time, including the first one produced …Read More
Boeing develops 777X to challenge Airbus A350
As the development of the Airbus A350 XWB (Extra Wide Body) family aircraft gears up this year, with the first A350-900 example entering final assembly in March ahead of its first flight in the second quarter of 2013 (“Airbus faces a crucial year on A350 development“, 25th Jan, 12), the same holds true for the competitive response from its transatlantic arch-rival Boeing on the development of a revamped and upgraded …Read More