Merger mania at Photos.aero

This news page is to be moved and integrated into Photos.aero soon, as a brand new news blog updated multiple times daily by crew members from various sources. Expect a dedicated and fast moving news service with the ability to comment on aviation and airline stories of the day.

EADS finally lands tanker deal for RAF

The long-awaited order for A330MRTT tankers for the British RAF has finally been signed.

The Royal Air Force will receive the Trent 700 powered aircraft from 2011 in a lease deal which replaces TriStar and VC-10 based tankers. Including support and spares the deal is worth £13bn over 27 years.

New Ryanair MAN routes and more bases

Ryanair have announced yet another tickets blitz campaign to coincide with their new Manchester routes to Girona, Bremen, Marseille and Milan. Over a million tickets are to be sold for £10 including charges, with new bases at Angouleme (France) Arad and Constanta (Romania).

Other locations will benefit from route expansion. Ryanair have also announced a sharp drop in profits which is attributable to increasing fuel costs, but stress that the airline is still trading firmly in the black.

Terminal 5 at LHR opens to traffic

London’s Heathrow Airport finally saw the opening of services into Terminal 5 this morning, with the arrival of a flight from Hong Kong.

The operations of BA will gradually change to the new terminal, with shorthaul flights and some longhaul initially being transferred over. The bulk of BA’s services will transfer across to T5 during a ramp-up period of about a month during April.

More on the story HERE

Update: BA encounter technical difficulties with baggage systems and are forced to cancel flights, story here 

Air Asia X books 10 extra A333

The Malaysian startup booked another 10 A330-300 aircraft and confirmed it is in talks to source longer range A340 aircraft for nonstop UK services

http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1206612280.html

Another substantial 787 delay?

references HERE

The current state of play with the Boeing 787 seems to be very much fluid at the moment, with the aircraft company all but confirming Steven Udvar-Hazy’s comments regarding another substantial delay.

The latest issues surround the Fuji Industries manufactured wing box, which has been the subject of weight reduction exercises. This has apparently weakened the structure to the point where premature failure could occur, and a major redesign looks inevitable.

Quite where this leaves the 787 will become clearer at the April update. Unfortunately Boeing is not being totally forthcoming at the moment and instead using industryspeak such as “traveled work” rather than give a clear and simple explanation of what’s what.

ILFC however looks likely to increase their order, and there have been no cancellations as slots are at a premium. Just how much more time is needed to solve the weight, wing box, electronics and substandard contractor performance remains to be seen. All Nippon now look to have at least 15 months or even longer to wait until their first aircraft eventually flies in passenger service.

That is assuming flight testing goes 100% perfectly.

Emirates to launch low-cost division as a standalone unit

The hugely successful Emirates Group is to set up a lowcost division to operate in the Gulf and surrounding area.

Previous entrants to the market have been Jazeera, NAS and others. The Dubai based group will operate the “Emirates Lite” style carrier as a standalone business unit within the group but not as a division of the airline itself. Other carriers such as Qatar Airways and Etihad will operate regional services themselves, with Gulf Air having already launched their Gulf Traveller brand using 767-300ER aircraft to lower yield destinations.

More details here

MAG plans Gatwick raid

The Manchester Airports Group may be preparing an audacious bid for London Gatwick if airports operator BAA is forced to divest some of its operating sites.

Details here

 http://www.uk-airport-news.info/manchester-airport-news-180308.htm

ILFC chief floats new 787 delay possibility

Steven Udvar-Hazy of leasing giant ILFC is now saying that the delayed airliner may not see first deliveries until 3Q 2009 and that power up and first flight will again be pushed back.

PIA grounds 747s, Adam Air grounded by regulators

Two stories which relate to photos.aero as we carry many pictures of both operators.

PIA are to ground their 747-200 and -300 fleet due to high fuel costs, and following another accident Adam Air have been grounded by the Indonesian regulators.