First commercial Airbus A380 turned to dust

TARMAC Aerosave, an aircraft maintenance, recycling and storage company based in Tarbes, France and in Teruel, Spain, announced that it has completed the first dismantling project of an ex-Singapore Airlines Airbus A380, with the second one still in process. TARMAC began breaking up the superjumbos in January 2019 after the lessor of the two aircraft, Dr. Peters Group, failed to find a buyer or an interested party for the A380.

The scrapped aircraft, serial number (MSN) 003, formerly registered as 9V-SKA, was the first superjumbo delivered to a commercial airline on October 15, 2007. Singapore Airlines used the A380 frame for ten years, before returning it to the aforementioned Dr. Peters Group in November 2017, according to planespotters.net data.

On June 5, 2018, the group decided the fate of MSN 003 and MSN 005, which is currently also being scrapped, after lengthy discussions with several parties, including British Airways, Hi Fly and Iran Air. Unfortunately, no airline was interested in taking up the used aircraft via sale or lease. The investment fund intends to sell the components of the A380, in hopes of generating an estimated $45 million. In addition, Dr. Peters Group has leased out the engines from the two scrapped aircraft, generating an additional $480,000 per month per one aircraft, according to a press release issued by the company. The sale of the engines by the end of 2020 is expected. All in all, the investment fund expects returns on the two A380 frames to be between 145% and 155%.

The only superjumbo that found a lifeline after its initial release was MSN 006, currently operated by Hi Fly on an ACMI basis. TARMAC noted that over 90% of the aircraft is recycled, making an abundance of spare parts available in the secondary market.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/32M7Y4e

Image: Carlos Yudica

Not afraid of the 737 MAX: Boeing logs first scalable orders

The order book for the Boeing 737 MAX, stagnant since the global grounding of the jet in March 2019, has seen a major boost at the Dubai Airshow. Airlines have given the MAX their seal of approval with a total of 50 orders placed within just two days of the event. It comes at a crucial time for Boeing, as the manufacturer aims to shore up support for the 737 MAX before its return to the skies currently expected in early 2020.

A day after securing the first firm order for the 737 MAX from Turkish carrier SunExpress, Boeing and Air Astana announced on November 19, 2019, an order for 30 737 MAX 8 jets destined for the airline’s brand-new low-cost subsidiary FlyArystan. Signed as a letter of intent (LoI), the order is valued $3.6 billion at list prices.

Back in November 2018, the flag carrier of Kazakhstan, Air Astana, announced that it will be launching a budget airline (the first LCC in the country) in hopes to better compete in the growing low-cost segment. The new Almaty-based carrier called FlyArystan commenced operations on May 1, 2019, and has so far seen strong ticket sales, “exceeding all expectations”, according to the parent company.

Boeing states that Air Astana’s new 737 MAX 8s will serve as the “backbone” of the new low-cost carrier. FlyArystan currently flies three Airbus A320-200s and has previously revealed plans to expand its fleet to 15 aircraft by 2022. Its parent company, Air Astana, which began operations in May 2002, operates a fleet of 35 aircraft, consisting of Boeing 757s and 767s, Airbus A320 family planes (A320s and A321s in both ceo and neo versions), as well as Embraer 190 and E190-E2 jets.

President and CEO of Air Astana Peter Foster has expressed confidence in the 737 MAX: “Air Astana has had a strong relationship with Boeing ever since the airline started flying in 2002 with a pair of 737NGs. Today we operate both 757s and 767s and we believe that the MAX will provide a solid platform for the growth of FlyArystan throughout our region, once the aircraft has successfully returned to service.”

Air Astana’s order follows SunExpress’ deal announced the day before, on November 18, 2019. The Turkish leisure carrier – a subsidiary of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa – stated it is exercising options for an extra 10 737 MAX 8 jets, in addition to a previous order for 32 MAX aircraft. The agreement is valued at $1.2 billion at list prices and, together with Air Astana’s order, brings the total sum for the 737 MAXs to $4.8 billion.

“We have full confidence that Boeing will deliver us a safe, reliable, and efficient aircraft. However, it goes without saying that this requires the undisputed airworthiness of the model, granted by all relevant authorities,” – said CEO of SunExpress Jens Bischof

SunExpress initially ordered 15 737 MAX 8 jets, including options for another 10 MAX 8s, back in 2014. It was part of a major purchase agreement for up to 50 Boeing aircraft, including 25 737-800NG airliners. Over the years, the Turkish carrier has proven to be a loyal customer for Boeing, steadily expanding its fleet of mostly Boeing 737s. The airline currently operates 65 737-800s as well as seven Airbus A330-200s.

Echoing Air Astana chief’s words, the CEO of SunExpress Jens Bischof stated: “We have a long standing, strong and trustful relationship with Boeing and thus we decided to turn our option into an order. We stand behind our strategic decision to phase the 737 MAX into our fleet for all of its economic and ecological advantages, mid- and long-term.” According to Bischof, the company has “full confidence” in Boeing’s ability to resolve issues with the MAX and “deliver us a safe, reliable, and efficient aircraft”.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/32M7Y4e

Image: Marco Menezes / Shutterstock.com

Qatar turns to LEAP engines, places $4B order for Airbus A321neos

Qatar Airways has chosen CFM International LEAP-1A engines to power its new fleet of 50 Airbus A321neo family aircraft in a deal valued at 4$ billion including service contracts. The airline has placed the largest A321neo order in the Middle East.

Together with the order for the new LEAP-1A engines, Qatar Airways also announced on November 13, 2019, a deal with CFM a Rate-Per-Flight-Hour (RPFH) support agreement to cover its entire fleet of LEAP-1A engines, including spares. The agreement is valued at $4 billion at list prices.

“We chose the LEAP engine based on its proven efficiency in commercial operation,” commented Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker. “This engine addresses our strategy to operate a state-of-the-art fleet with the most advanced technologies in the industry, while expanding our network and maintaining the best flexibility for our customers”.

Out of more than 250 aircraft in its fleet, as the Gulf carrier states, 121 are Airbus airplanes. According to the European manufacturer’s latest orders and deliveries figures, Qatar Airways is awaiting delivery of another 82 jets, including the 50 A320neos and another 32 A350-1000s (the airline was the launch operator of both the A350-900 and the larger -1000 model).

Qatar Airways already operates a fleet of 38 A320ceo family aircraft (32 A320ceo and five A321ceo jets), of which eight are powered by CFM56-5B engines. The first LEAP-1 powered A321neo is scheduled to be delivered in 2020.

CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between GE and France’s Safran Aircraft Engines. According to the company, the fastest-selling engine family in history, LEAP, has more than 18,600 orders and commitments, including spare engines, booked through August 2019.

Among the recent deals, CFM announced on October 17, 2019, it finalized an order for 26 LEAP-1A engines to power Air Vistara’s 13 new A320neos, in addition to the 37 leased airplanes from the A320neo family ordered in July 2018 and the 10 leased aircraft already in service.

Alongside the engine order, the Indian carrier also inked a long-term RPFH agreement for the maintenance of the 120 LEAP-1A engines that power 60 A320neo and A321neo jets in service or in order. The total value of the service agreement and the engine order is more than $2.4 billion at list prices.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/32M7Y4e

Image: testing / Shutterstock.com

Azul moves forward with fleet modernization

Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras, a Brazilian airline, reports that its fleet modernization program is moving forward. The carrier added five new aircraft in the third quarter of 2019, and expects 12 aircraft to be delivered by the end of the year. It has also reported a step forward in previously announced plan to remarket its entire Embraer E190/195 fleet.

Azul received three Airbus A320neo, one A330 and a brand new Embraer E195-E2 in Q3, 2019. Additional 12 planes, including its first Airbus A321 neo, are expected to arrive the following quarter. Azul expects its capacity to grow by approximately 20% in 2019.

Azul is also transitioning to newer models of Embraer aircraft. Back in July 2018, the Brazilian carrier announced a letter of intent to obtain 21 Embraer 195-E2 aircraft, increasing its total firm order of E2s to 51. In September 2019, the Brazilian airline received its first Embraer E2 family jet ‒ E195-E2. The biggest of three E2 variants, the type was certified in April 2019. Another E195-E2 reached the fleet in November, leaving four jets to be delivered by the end of 2019.

Simultaneously to adding new E2 jets, Azul’s plan to remarket the older Embraer jets is also moving forward. The airline announced the intention in September 2018, revealing an ambition to replace its entire Embraer E190/E195 fleet, in hopes it would accelerate the transition from E1 to E2 fleet and significantly reduce operating costs.

Now, the airline has already signed a memorandum of understanding to sublease up to 32 of its Embraer E190/E195s. The carrier 57 of these jets in its fleet: 51 Embraer ERJ-195 and six Embraer ERJ-190.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2NCxqVt

Image: Mariordo Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz

Rolls Royce postpones Trent 1000TEN HTP issue fix to 2021

Rolls Royce reports progress solving technical issues affecting three variants of its Trent 1000 engine. The company states it is making good progress with eight out of nine fixes needed. However, as more issues were found with the proposed Trent 1000TEN blade fix solution, the improved blade is now expected a year later than previously ‒ in the first half of 2021.

Three variants of Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines have been affected by corrosion issues. The problem, which results in early wear and cracking of blades, was first detected in 2016 on Package C engines, followed by detection on Package B in 2018 and early wear of the high-pressure turbine (HPT) blade of Trent 1000 TEN in January 2019.

Rolls Royce estimates that nine fixes are required for Package B, Package C and TEN engines. So far, the manufacturer has designed eight and got certified seven modifications, that are now being incorporated into the fleet.

The company has reiterated its previous estimation that the number of grounded aircraft will go down to a “single digit levels” by the end of the second quarter of 2020.

However, the ninth, final, solution remains a challenge. Rolls Royce has found that its proposed redesign of high-pressure turbine (HPT) blade for Trent 1000 TEN engine would not “deliver a sufficient level” of durability. Consequently, the company is now expecting the upgraded blade not to be ready before the first half of 2021. It means over a year of delay, as it previously expected to start incorporating improved blade into the fleet in early 2020.

“We have completed a detailed technical evaluation of our work on an improved high pressure turbine blade for Trent 1000 TEN, the last major redesign activity required for the issues which we have identified with the engine,” Warren East, CEO, Rolls-Royce is cited in a press release. “Although we regret that the blade will not be ready when we had originally planned, our understanding of the technical issues has significantly improved. As a result we are now able to reset our financial and operational expectations for the engine based on a blade design with a prudent durability estimate that we are confident we can deliver [..]”.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2rpvuap

Image: Shutterstock

Canadian authorities restrict A220 engine thrust after incidents

Transport Canada, the Canadian civil aviation authority, has issued an emergency airworthiness directive to reduce the engine thrust of Airbus A220 aircraft under certain conditions after several engine incidents were reported.

Issued on October 26, 2019, the directive states that pilots of both the A220-100 and A220-300 models must fly at 94% of their full thrust capacity when they are over 29,000 feet (about 9 kilometers) of altitude. The automatic throttle control must be disabled before climbing at this altitude.

The directive follows several reports of engine in-flight shutdowns affecting the aircraft. On October 15, 2019, Swiss International Air Lines grounded all of its 20 Airbus A220s for an emergency inspection after at least three engine incidents. The two-day inspection forced the Lufthansa subsidiary to cancel about a hundred flights. Operations resumed after the engines were found in “impeccable condition”.

“Preliminary investigation results indicate high altitude climbs at higher thrust settings for engines with certain thrust ratings may be a contributor”, says Transport Canada. The A220 family is powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW1500G engines.

Additionally, Transport Canada forbids the aircraft to fly above 35,000 feet (about 10 kilometers) when weather conditions are prone to icing, as activating the de-icing system at this altitude may overheat the engine, triggering the fire warnings.

Carriers have seven days to comply with the directive. Transport Canada warns that those are interim measures that could be followed by additional actions as the investigation progress.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2q5SRos

Image: GB-Photographie

It’s official: Boeing pushes 777X, to lower 787 production rate

Together with its Q3 2019 financial results, Boeing has clarified the future of its wide-body planes, officially confirming what Emirates CEO Tim Clark had previously hinted. Boeing has pushed back the 777X entry into service date to 2021.

777X service entry pushed to 2021

Boeing states the 777X program is progressing through pre-flight testing and the first flight of the new Triple Seven “remains on track” in early 2020. However, what does not remain on track is its entry into service date. Previously expected in 2020, now the first delivery date has been to early 2021.

Emirates, which has ordered 150 of the newest generation Triple Sevens, previously expected to take the first delivery in June 2020 and receive a total of eight 777Xs by the end of 2020. However, since September 2019, the airline’s CEO has expressed an increasing skepticism on whether Boeing would be able to meet the deadline. In October 2019, speaking at The Aviation Show MEASA 2019, Clark said that it no longer looked like they would have any 777X jets in 2020.

The last update Boeing provided on the 777X program was back in July 2019. At the time, the manufacturer was still hopeful to make the first delivery in 2020. However, Boeing was already cautious when describing the probability to meet the deadline, by warning of a “significant” risk to that schedule due to the challenges with the GE9X engines. According to reports, General Electric is in the process of redesigning a component on the GE9X – a stator vane in the second stage of the high-pressure compressor.

Boeing to lower 787 production rate

“Given the current global trade environment, the 787 production rate will be reduced to 12 airplanes per month for approximately two years beginning in late 2020,” the manufacturer has also revealed.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2W3QHlo

Image: Dan Nevill (Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.0)

737 MAX groundings put pressure on Boeing deliveries in Q3 2019

The U.S. based manufacturer has announced its deliveries for Q3 2019. The results showcase that Boeing, which is still battling the aftermath of the two deadly 737 MAX crashes, has not yet recovered, as commercial aircraft deliveries have fallen further. In total, Boeing delivered 63 commercial aircraft to customers – compared to Q3 2018 result of 190 deliveries, the latest numbers show a drop of 66.8%.

The 787 Dreamliner generated the biggest cash flow for the company, as customers accepted 35 Dreamliners in total, making up for more than half of the total deliveries in Q3 2019. Other wide-bodies were also represented on the list, as Boeing gave the customers keys to ten 767s, 12 Triple Sevens and one Queen of the Skies, the 747.

737 MAX crisis is most evident in the narrow-body delivery results – in Q3 2018, Boeing transferred 138 737s. During the same period in 2019, the company delivered only five narrow-bodies. Japanese low-cost carrier, Skymark Airlines, received the last ever commercial 737NG delivery on June 27, 2019, meaning that Boeing is looking at a quarter without any 737 deliveries to a commercial airline if the groundings do not lift in Q4 2019.

However, how much damage financially Boeing has conceded will be evident when the company will reveal its Q3 2019 financial results on October 23, 2019. In the previous quarter, the executives in Chicago announced the biggest losses in the company‘s history – but in Q2 2019, the company delivered 90 jets. With further dwindling cash flows due to the decrease in completed order numbers, Boeing might be looking down towards an even bigger hole in its finances.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2ovSOlp

Image: cpaulfel

NASA takes delivery of its first all-electric X-plane

These days NASA is not only preoccupied with the research and development of spacecraft – the agency is set on exploring electric propulsion technology for general aviation aircraft. NASA recently received its first all-electric X-plane: known as X-57 Maxwell Mod II, it is the agency’s first all-electric experimental aircraft and the first crewed X-plane in two decades. With the X-57, NASA aims to set industry standards for the growing electric aircraft market.

The X-57 Maxwell was delivered to NASA on October 2, 2019, by its prime contractor Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The rolled-out X-57 comes in the first of three configurations as an all-electric aircraft, known as Modification II, or Mod II.

The X-57’s Mod II is designed to replace traditional combustion engines on a baseline Italian Tecnam P2006T light aircraft, with electric cruise motors. The propulsions system powering the Maxwell weighs approximately 3,000 pounds, including with its 860 -pound lithium-ion batteries. The aircraft can reach a cruising speed of 172 miles per hour at 8,000 feet, Popular Mechanics writes.

Referring to the delivery as a “major milestone”, NASA will now start putting the aircraft through ground tests, to be followed by taxi tests and eventually flight tests. The agency is aiming to use the X-57 to advance the design and airworthiness process for distributed electric propulsion technology for general aviation aircraft.

“The X-57 Mod II aircraft delivery to NASA is a significant event, marking the beginning of a new phase in this exciting electric X-plane project,” X-57 Project Manager Tom Rigney said in a statement. “With the aircraft in our possession, the X-57 team will soon conduct extensive ground testing of the integrated electric propulsion system to ensure the aircraft is airworthy. We plan to rapidly share valuable lessons learned along the way as we progress toward flight testing, helping to inform the growing electric aircraft market”.

With the project, that has been in development since 2016, NASA wants to jump ahead of the curve and develop certification standards for the rapidly growing flying electric vehicles market, most notably urban mobility vehicles (UAMs).

NASA’s engineers are already preparing for the project’s following phases, Mod III and IV, which will focus on energy efficiency, featuring a high-aspect ratio wing, compared to the wider, standard wing from the Mod II phase. Late in September 2019, the agency successfully completed loads testing on the new wing that will be integrated into the final configuration of the piloted experimental aircraft at NASA Armstrong’s Flight Loads Laboratory.

“ESAero is thrilled to be delivering the MOD II X-57 Maxwell to NASA AFRC,” said ESAero President and CEO Andrew Gibson in the statement. “In this revolutionary time, the experience and lessons learned, from early requirements to current standards development, has the X-57 paving the way. This milestone, along with receiving the successfully load-tested MOD III wing back, will enable NASA, ESAero and the small business team to accelerate and lead electric air vehicle distributed propulsion development on the MOD III and MOD IV configurations with integration at our facilities in San Luis Obispo”.

The X-57 Mod II is a “design driver” meant to spur lessons learned and best practices in the development of electric aircraft. According to NASA, this design driver includes a 500% increase in high-speed cruise efficiency, zero in-flight carbon emissions, and quieter flight for communities on the ground.

NASA’s X-planes are experimental aircraft that the agency uses to test a variety of technologies, and has been doing so for several decades. One of the experimental aircraft developed by the agency was the Bell X-1, a rocket-engine powered aircraft, which became the first plane to break the sound barrier in flight. On October 14, 1947, U.S. Air Force Captain Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager flew the X-1 reaching a speed of 700 miles (1,127 kilometers) per hour, or Mach 1.06, at an altitude of 43,000 feet (13,000 meters).

One of the most notable projects recently, is NASA’s Low-boom Flight Demonstration Mission, aimed at designing and building a large-scale supersonic X-plane with technology that reduces the loudness of a sonic boom. NASA aims to fly the X-plane over select U.S. communities to gather data on residents’ responses to the low-boom flights. The data will be delivered to U.S. and international regulators in an effort to loosen civil supersonic flight restrictions over land.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2p4Ol9v

Image: NASA Graphic / NASA Langley/Advanced Concepts Lab, AMA, Inc.

Airbus slapped with 10% tariffs, industry to lose more, it says

Washington is set to make good on its pledge to retaliate on European Union (EU) goods, including aircraft, in the long-running jet subsidy case. Following the penalty award by the World Trade Organization (WTO) arbitrator, the U.S. announced it will slap 10% tariffs on European-made aircraft as well as 25% duties on other industrial and agricultural products from the EU. Airbus together with its U.S. based customers have expressed deep concerns over the impact that trade sanctions will have on the aviation industry and airlines’ businesses.

On October 2, 2019, the WTO issued its decision on the amount of harm EU subsidies has caused the United States and the level of countermeasures the U.S. may request in the case. As anticipated, Washington was given the go ahead to impose tariffs on $7.5 billion worth of EU exports annually as punishment for the alleged illegal government subsidies to Airbus.

The U.S. President Donald Trump, on his official Twitter account, hailed the WTO ruling as a “nice victory”: “The U.S. won a $7.5 Billion award from the World Trade Organization against the European Union, who has for many years treated the USA very badly on Trade due to Tariffs, Trade Barriers, and more. This case going on for years, a nice victory!”.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) was quick to announce on October 2, 2019, that it will be imposing tariffs of 10% on large civil aircraft and 25% on agricultural and other products from the EU “at this time”, stating that “the U.S. has the authority to increase the tariffs at any time or change the products affected”.

The USTR has drawn up a target list of $25 billion worth of EU items it could select from and states that the bulk of tariffs – set to take effect on October 18, 2019 – will be applied to large Airbus aircraft made in France, the UK, Germany and Spain – the four Airbus consortium countries and EU member states cited in the U.S. case before the WTO.

“For years, Europe has been providing massive subsidies to Airbus that have seriously injured the U.S. aerospace industry and our workers. Finally, after 15 years of litigation, the WTO has confirmed that the United States is entitled to impose countermeasures in response to the EU’s illegal subsidies,” U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in an official statement.

“Accordingly, the United States will begin applying WTO-approved tariffs on certain EU goods beginning October 18. We expect to enter into negotiations with the European Union aimed at resolving this issue in a way that will benefit American workers”.

The U.S. says that the $7.5 billion tariff figure was calculated based on WTO findings, representing the harm that illegal government aid for Airbus caused on sales of Boeing large civil aircraft, as well as, impeding exports of Boeing large aircraft to the EU, Australia, China, Korea, Singapore, and UAE markets.

Implications across manufacturing

Airbus has responded to the WTO decision on October 2, 2019, stating that the imposition of tariffs on EU-made aircraft and/or components will create “insecurity and disruption” to the aerospace industry as well as the broader global economy.

“Airbus will continue working with its US partners, customers and suppliers, to address all potential consequences of such tariffs that would be a barrier against free trade and would have a negative impact on not only the US airlines but also US jobs, suppliers, and air travelers,” said Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury in an official statement. Airbus is urging the U.S. Administration and the EU to find a negotiated settlement to the dispute to avoid what it says will be a “serious damage to the aviation industry”.

“We are concerned about the detrimental impact aircraft tariffs will have on the ability for low-cost carriers like JetBlue to grow and compete, which will harm customers who rely on us to offer competitive, low fares, – spokesman for JetBlue

The European Union has drawn up its own list of $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, including imported Boeing aircraft, it seeks to tariff in a subsequent case before the WTO. The trade watchdog is due to determine the amount of these countermeasures the EU can impose on U.S. products in the coming months. Airbus maintains that the sanctions on both sides “will severely impact US and EU industries, putting high costs on the acquisition of new aircraft for both US and EU airlines”.

Airbus states it sources about 40% of components and materials from U.S. suppliers, totaling $50 billion in spending in the last three years since 2019. In addition, the European plane maker’s U.S.-based operations support 275,000 American jobs. If tariffs were to be imposed on aircraft parts, it would hurt Airbus’ production at its Mobile, Alabama, site, resulting in higher costs and the loss of U.S manufacturing jobs, since Boeing also uses European-made plane parts in its U.S. production.

However, according to a report by Reuters, the new 10% tariffs will not hit Airbus’ Alabama plant, as semi-finished fuselages and wings are exempted from the USTR’s target list. “Earlier today [October 2, 2019], we received confirmation from Airbus of very positive news that parts and components used at the final assembly plant in Mobile will not be subject to tariffs,” George Talbot, spokesman for the city of Mobile, was quoted as saying by the news agency. Airbus produces its wide-body planes in Europe, while its single-aisle jets are built both in Europe and at the Mobile plant (namely, the A320s and the A220s).

“While we are pleased that aircraft production and deliveries from Airbus’ Mobile, Alabama plant will not be affected, the proposed 10 percent tariff on aircraft from the EU that are already under contract for purchase is just an unfair tax on U.S. consumers and companies, – Delta spokesperson

Implications across the airline business

U.S. airlines operating Airbus aircraft have spoken out in tandem against the tariffs, suggesting the sanctions would eventually result in higher cost of travel as well as cut into profits. Airlines order planes years in advance, which means that switching contracts to another supplier would be very difficult. To compensate for the costs, carriers could increase fares. Airlines may also urge the plane makers to pay the tariffs, contrary to the norm, as Boeing and Airbus are directly involved in the subsidy dispute, as CNBC writes.

All three largest U.S. carriers have Airbus planes in their massive fleets. According to the latest figures by the European manufacturer (as of August 31, 2019), American Airlines operates 168 Airbus aircraft in both single-aisle and wide-body categories, with another 114 A321neo jets on order. United has 177 Airbus planes in its fleet, all single-aisles (the A319ceo and A320ceo), and has ordered 45 A350XWBs (the A350-900).

By far the most important U.S. customer for Airbus is Delta: the airline operates 292 Airbus jets and has around 200 planes on the way, including a total of 137 A321s in both ceo and neo versions, as well as, 32 A330-900s and 12 A350-900s ordered for its long-haul wide-body fleet.

“While we are pleased that aircraft production and deliveries from Airbus’ Mobile, Alabama plant will not be affected, the proposed 10 percent tariff on aircraft from the EU that are already under contract for purchase is just an unfair tax on U.S. consumers and companies,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement to AeroTime. “We hope that the Administration and the EU are able to resolve this 15-year trade dispute in a manner that respects existing contractual rights.”

Delta has provided a lifeline for the A220 program both in the U.S. and worldwide. In October 2018, the airline became the first in the U.S. to take delivery of the A220. The first A220 built in the U.S., an A220-300, is also destined for Delta, scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2020. Currently, the Atlanta, Georgia-based carrier has an order for 23 A220-100s and 50 A220-300s.

Low-cost airlines, such as JetBlue and Spirit, which both fly Airbus single-aisle aircraft, may face even bigger hardships as a result of the sanctions, in efforts to remain competitive and continue to offer low fares. JetBlue has operated exclusively the A320 and A321 jets (as well as Embraer 190s), but is ready to introduce 70 A220s (A220-300s) and 84 A321neo into its fleet. Meanwhile, Spirit flies the A319, A320, A321 (all in the “ceo” versions), and has placed an order for 30 A320neos.

“We are concerned about the detrimental impact aircraft tariffs will have on the ability for low-cost carriers like JetBlue to grow and compete, which will harm customers who rely on us to offer competitive, low fares,” a spokesman for Jetblue told AeroTime. “As we wait for more information on these tariffs, JetBlue will continue to work with U.S. carriers and manufacturers to advocate for a resolution that would help avoid the negative consequences tariffs could have on customers and commercial aviation in the U.S.”

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2ASEypm

Image: Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com