Tag Archives: Boeing

NCLAT dismisses plea of JKC; allows sale of planes to Ace Aviation

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has dismissed the plea of Jalan Kalrock Consortium (JKC), the successful bidder for Jet Airways, opposing the sale of three aircraft to Ace Aviation.

JKC has now moved the Supreme Court against the sale of aircraft to Ace Aviation.

Ace approached the NCLAT two weeks ago seeking to expedite the sale of three aircraft in Mumbai in the same case.
“We see no reason to entertain any application in the disposed of the Appeal. If so advised, the Applicants (JKC) may file appropriate application before the Adjudicating Authority for appropriate relief,” the NCLAT said.

The company (Ace) won a favourable order from the appellate tribunal in December last year where the court had told the Monitoring Committee of grounded Jet Airways to close the sale of aircraft. The company has not been able to take possession of the assets since 2022.

The finalisation of the sale of the aircraft was put on hold following a deadlock between the lenders and JKC.
Ace Aviation, which has been fighting Jet Airways for the acquisition of three Boeing B777 aircraft, told Business Standard that it must acquire them in six months as the deadline for the conversion of these wide-bodied planes to freighter aircraft is fast approaching.

Eshel Heffetz, Group CEO, Challenge Group, said they have deposited USD 5.6 million for five aircraft, of which USD 4.6 million is earmarked for three aircraft in Mumbai, and the token of USD 1 million is for the other two Boeing B777 aircraft in Delhi (in respect to which a formal bid is yet to be completed). (Source: Business Standard)

Airbus targets 800 aircraft deliveries in 2024 amid supply chain concerns

 

Airbus aims to deliver more aircraft to customers in 2024, despite ongoing supply chain challenges. The company reported healthy results for its commercial aircraft business and set a target of 800 commercial aircraft deliveries, which is 65 more than in 2023.

Guillaume Faury, CEO, noted that this achievement was significant given the complex operating environment, which includes supply chain issues and geopolitical conflicts. Airbus’s fortunes contrast with those of U.S. rival Boeing, which is facing manufacturing quality control concerns. Faury indicated that Airbus would not see any short-term bump from airlines switching suppliers, as it already has a substantial order backlog for its A320 narrow-body jets.

Openings for new airplane orders will not be available until the next decade, according to Faury, which would primarily impact the long-term competitive positioning of the two companies rather than the short term.

Airbus reported a 4% increase in adjusted earnings before interest and tax, reaching USD 6.2 billion, for its latest annual earnings report. Revenue also climbed by 11% during the same period. The company announced plans to pay shareholders a special dividend on top of the regular dividend, reflecting growth prospects and a strong balance sheet, including a cash pile that rose by 14% to EUR 10.7 billion.

Air India aims to set up South Asia’s largest aviation academy in Gurugram

Air India announced its 600,000 sq ft academy in Gurugram, a landmark moment at Wings India 2024.

Its training programme, including a pilot school and AME (Aircraft Maintenance Engineering) institute, aims to equip 50,000+ professionals and fuel India’s aviation.

Air India partners with industry giants to build two state-of-the-art pilot training centers equipped with over 20 Full Flight Simulators, ensuring training for Airbus and Boeing fleets.

“This training academy isn’t just bricks and mortar,” proclaimed Campbell Wilson, Air India CEO. “It’s a brick in the foundation of a self-reliant Indian aviation industry, poised to fuel our nation’s skyrocketing growth.”

From world-class equipment to the latest technology, the immersive training environment prioritizes safety and paves the way for career ascent in Asia’s aviation hub.

The academy offers training for all aviation roles, from pilots mastering SEP to cabin crew refining service and security personnel ensuring seamless airport operations. Leadership pathways and a safety-first culture powered by industry giants.

Indian airlines satisfactorily complete checks of Boeing planes: DGCA

In response to safety concerns surrounding Boeing 737 Max-8 aircraft, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had directed airlines to conduct immediate inspections of emergency exits. This precautionary measure follows an incident involving the door plug of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max-9 aircraft, leading to the grounding of all such aircraft by the airline.

The DGCA reported that satisfactory inspections have been completed on Boeing 737 Max-8 planes operated by Air India Express, Spicejet, and Akasa. Notably, none of the Indian air operators currently have the Boeing 737-9 Max variant in their fleets.

The global grounding of Boeing 737 Max aircraft for 20 months after fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 has heightened concerns over their safety. The recent incident involving Alaska Airlines prompted the DGCA to instruct Indian air operators to conduct one-time emergency exit inspections on all Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft.

Boeing had previously urged carriers to inspect all B737 Max aircraft following the discovery of a missing nut on a bolt during routine maintenance by an international operator.

Both Akasa Air and SpiceJet have confirmed that thorough inspections were carried out on their Boeing 737 Max fleets, with no adverse findings. They emphasized that their flight operations remained unaffected during this period. The focus on safety measures underscores the aviation industry’s commitment to ensuring the continued safe operation of these aircraft.

Akasa Air in talks to finalise deal for 150 Boeing 737 MAX: Report

Akasa Air is set to finalise a deal of around 150 Boeing 737 MAX narrowbody planes, reported Reuters citing sources on Tuesday.

The company executives are currently negotiating to strike a favourable deal. The official announcement about the purchase is likely to be made at Wings India, the country’s largest civil aviation event scheduled for January 18-21, reported the news agency citing two sources familiar with the matter.

The new order for around 150 planes is likely to include some future purchasing options, according to the news agency.

Responding to the request to comment on the news, an Akasa spokesperson said that the airline doesn’t comment on speculation. The sources requested to maintain anonymity as the deal is yet to be finalised and the plane order details are confidential.

The airline currently operates on domestic routes with a fleet of around two dozen planes. The company faced a huge setback last year when the abrupt departure of about a tenth of its pilots impacted its flight operations.

The new plane order is aimed at boosting Akasa’s domestic and international expansion, reported the news agency citing sources. The new order will also enable the airline to begin operations on foreign destinations like Southeast Asia and the Middle East from India.

 

Mexico’s Mexicana Airlines, run by army, takes off with first flight to Tulum

Mexico launched its army-run airline Tuesday, when the first Mexicana Airlines flight took off from Mexico City for the Caribbean resort of Tulum.

It was another sign of the outsized role that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has given to Mexico’s armed forces. The airline’s military-run holding company now also operates about a dozen airports, hotels, trains, the country’s customs service and tourist parks.

Gen. Luís Cresencio Sandoval, Defense Secretary, Mexico, said that having all those diverse businesses run by the military were “common in developed countries.”

The Mexicana Airline plans to carry tourists from Mexican cities to resorts like Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco and Mazatlan. Flights appear to be scheduled every three or four days, largely on weekends.
The carrier hopes to compete mainly on price: the first 425 tickets sold offered prices of about USD 92 for the flight from Mexico City to Tulum, which the government claimed was about one-third cheaper than commercial airlines.
However, Mexicana’s first flight didn’t go according to plan. The company said Flight MXA 1788 had to be re-routed to the colonial city of Merida because of poor weather conditions in Tulum. After a wait, it finally took off again and arrived in Tulum about five hours after it took off from Mexico City, about double the usual travel time.

Mexicana also hopes to fly to 16 small regional airports that currently have no flights or very few. For those worried about being told to “Fasten your seatbelt, and that’s an order,” the cabin crew on the Mexicana flight appeared to be civilians. In Mexico, the air force is a wing of the army.

Sandoval said the airline began operations with three Boeing jets and two smaller leased Embraer planes, and hopes to lease or acquire five more jets in early 2024.

López Obrador called the takeoff of the first Boeing 737-800 jet “a historic event” and a “new stage,” marking the return of the formerly government-run airline Mexicana, which had been privatised, then went bankrupt and finally closed in 2010.

(Source: Associated Press)