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Aviation News December 2005
Air Canada welcomes Embraer
190 MONTREAL,
Dec. 22 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada welcomes the most recent
addition to its North American fleet as its first EMBRAER 190
departed Ottawa for Orlando on its inaugural flight last night.
The arrival of this ultra- modern, spacious and efficient jet
brings enhanced passenger comfort and improved schedules as it
sets new standards for air travel in North America. Air Canada
becomes the first North American airline to operate two
different Embraer E-Jet models, the E175 and the E190.
The new Embraer jets are outfitted with Air Canada's new
personal entertainment system that is being introduced
fleet-wide, and features 8.9-inch wide digital in-seat monitors
with touch-screen controls offering audio and video on demand
programming at every seat. Other amenities include Air Canada's
new seating and cabin design with in-seat power within reach of
every customer, no middle seats, spacious overhead bins and
cabin interiors that offer plenty of head room with extra-wide
aisles.
The 93-seat E190 aircraft is configured to provide a choice of
two classes of service with 9 window or aisle seats in Executive
Class offering 38 inches of legroom, and 84 window or aisle
seats in Hospitality service offering 33 inches of legroom.
The arrival of this new generation of jet to the Air Canada
fleet allows us to offer superior comfort for our customers in
North America," said Ben Smith, Vice President, Network
Planning, Air Canada. "We will deploy Embraer's E190
state-of-the-art aircraft to pursue strategic market
opportunities in Canada and in the Unites States while offering
customers a premium travel experience with enhanced space,
comfort and convenient schedules." As additional aircraft
join the fleet, the E190 will be used primarily in key Canada-U.S.
transborder markets including Toronto-Boston, Toronto-Newark,
Toronto-LaGuardia, Calgary-New York (JFK), Ottawa-Fort
Lauderdale, Ottawa- Orlando, Montreal-Denver, as well as certain
domestic routes such as Toronto- Kelowna, Toronto-St. John's,
Montreal-Edmonton, and Montreal-Calgary. Air Canada currently
operates its new 73-seat E175 aircraft on: Toronto-Washington
D.C. Reagan National Airport, Toronto-Atlanta, Toronto-Boston,
Toronto-Newark, Montreal-LaGuardia and Montreal-Chicago.
The E190 has a cruising speed of 830 km/h and a range of up to
4,260 km with a maximum payload of 12,720 kg. Air Canada has
firm orders for 45 E190 aircraft with additional options for up
to 60 additional E190 aircraft. By year-end there will four
E190s in service joining the 14 E175 already operated by Air
Canada. Air Canada operates more non-stop flights between Canada
and the U.S. than any other airline. Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz
and its commercial partners operate more than 385 non-stop daily
flights on 79 routes to and from 50 U.S. and 6 Canadian
destinations. Air Canada extends its network within the United
States even further with its Star Alliance partner, United
Airlines. In 2005, an independent survey of more than 12 million
international air travelers ranked Air Canada as the Best
Airline in North America.
Bombardier Global Express XRS MONTREAL--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Dec. 10, 2005--Bombardier today announced the entry into
customer service of its new flagship business jet, the
ultra-long range Bombardier Global Express XRS jet. The first
aircraft departed Bombardier's Global completion center on
November 25, 2005 and European launch customer, Transneft, an
oil transportation management company, accepted the second
aircraft on December 6, 2005.
Launched in October 2003, the new Global Express XRS business
jet delivers a combination of speed and range that is unmatched
by any other aircraft in its category. At a cruise speed of Mach
0.88, the aircraft can fly Frankfurt-Beijing in eight hours and
41 minutes and Moscow-Tokyo in eight hours and 22 minutes.
"We are impressed by the superb cabin, outstanding
performance and sophistication of the new Global Express XRS,"
said Sergei Grigoriev, vice-president of OJSC AK Transneft.
"The aircraft's superior range and comfort are key to meet
our regional and intercontinental mission requirements."
Ahead of the originally scheduled entry into service date of
first quarter of 2006, these Global Express XRS aircraft
deliveries highlight the continued success of the Global
aircraft platform and represent the fifth major program
milestone this year.
- January 16, 2005, first flight of the
Global Express XRS business jet
- April 18, 2005, first
Bombardier Global 5000 aircraft entered customer service -
August 11, 2005, Bombardier Enhanced Vision System certified for
use on the Global Express business jet by Transport Canada. The
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration granted its approval on
August 26 followed by the European Aviation Safety Agency on
September 16
- August 26, 2005, 150th Global aircraft entered
customer service
"The Global Express XRS aircraft superior cabin size, speed
and range combination make it the preferred choice for
international operators," said Jahid Fazal-Karim, senior
vice-president, new aircraft sales, Bombardier Business
Aircraft. Aircraft's superior cabin provides ultimate comfort and space
The Global Express XRS cabin -- the largest of any
purpose-built corporate aircraft either flying or in development
- offers 28 per cent more cabin volume and 45 per cent more
floor space than its closest competitor. Designed to provide a
highly productive working environment and deliver ultimate
comfort, the cabin features a 6-foot, 3-inch (1.91 m) stand up
height, and a three-compartment configuration. A superior cabin ambiance is achieved through the addition of
two cabin windows, along with enlarged window reveals, providing
a 183 per cent increase in unrestricted viewing area and ambient
lighting. Light emitting diode lighting technology is featured
throughout the cabin and passengers and crew will enjoy the
improved cabin pressurization, allowing for a 4,500-foot (1,372
m) cabin altitude at flight level 450 (FL450) and a 5,680-foot
(1,731 m) cabin altitude at FL510 - the lowest of any commercial
aircraft. Also standard on the Global Express XRS business jet is the
Bombardier Enhanced Vision System (BEVS), which reduces the risk
of controlled flight into terrain, runway incursions at night or
during low visibility conditions and increases overall depth
perception in difficult operating conditions and/or at
unfamiliar airports.
Things looking up for top airlines MONTREAL,
Dec 9 (Reuters) - Canada's top two airlines, Air Canada and
WestJet, are flying fuller planes to higher profits, even as
U.S. mainline carriers struggle toward an uncertain future
through a mountain of debt and multiple bankruptcies. Earlier
this week, Air Canada, a unit of ACE Aviation Holdings Inc., and
no-frills carrier WestJet Airlines Ltd. both posted record
passenger traffic figures for November. The bitter rivals are
benefiting from what National Bank Financial analyst David
Newman calls a "rational, but competitive, duopoly in
Canadian skies" since the demise of discount carrier Jetsgo
in March. In particular, their load factor rose again in
November to record levels for that month. The key measure -- the
ratio of seats sold on average on the airlines' planes --
improved even though the carriers added to fleet capacity as
they broaden their reach across Canada and into the United
States.
Montreal-based Air Canada's traffic figures grew largely on
transborder routes to the United States and on international
traffic across the Atlantic and Pacific. The November load factor at WestJet was the Calgary,
Alberta-based airline's best in more than seven years for that
month, and according to Tim James, an analyst at Octagon
Capital, it may be a sign of higher pretax profits to come. "We believe that WestJet will see continued
year-over-year growth in EBITDAR (earnings before interest,
taxes, depreciation, amortization and aircraft rent) over the
next nine quarters," James wrote in a research report. He believes WestJet is undervalued relative to both its
historical earnings and EBITDAR multiples, and when compared
with comparable U.S. and European discount carriers. He has a
C$17 target on the stock.
WestJet shares were off 19 Canadian cents at C$12.19 on the
Toronto Stock Exchange on Friday. The stock is some 42 percent
down from its high of C$21 set in January 2004. ACE shares fell 40 Canadian cents to C$37.25 on Friday. They
are down about 19 percent from their C$46 peak in June 2005, but
about 77 percent above the C$21 they began trading at in October
2004 after Air Canada's complete revamp.
Virgin America seeks permission to fly in US WASHINGTON,
Dec 8 (Reuters) - Virgin America Inc., a start-up, low cost
airline with a brand made famous by British entrepreneur Richard
Branson, sought permission on Thursday from the U.S. government
to begin service next year, the company said. Virgin America,
which filed for ownership fitness and airworthiness
certification with the U.S. Transportation Department and the
Federal Aviation Administration, also said it secured $177.3
million in financing from private investors.
Much of the financing came from VAI Partners LLC, an investment
group funded by investment firms Black Canyon Capital and Cyrus
Capital Partners, Virgin America said in a statement. VAI is the majority owner of the new airline and will control
its operations. Branson runs the London-based Virgin Group family of
companies that includes Virgin Atlantic Airlines [VA.UL]. Virgin
Group will commit additional funding to the Virgin America
entry, whose chief executive is Fred Reid, a former Delta Air
Lines president. Branson will hold 25 percent equity in the
venture.
Virgin America, based in San Francisco, said it plans to use
Airbus jetliners and begin service in 2006. It wants to
capitalize on low customer service ratings for most U.S.
carriers and adopt the customer-oriented focus of the Virgin
brand. Virgin America has ordered 33 A320 aircraft, including 18
directly from the manufacturer and 15 leases from General
Electric Co.'s aircraft financing arm, Virgin America said.
Virgin America will start with between two-and-four planes
and grow in a "measured fashion," Reid said. He added
that the first route will be in the highly competitive
transcontinental market - San Francisco-New York.
Virgin announced its intentions for U.S. service in 2004 and
has spent the past 18 months putting together a business plan
and lining up investmentors. The new airline's chief competitors will be Southwest
Airlines, JetBlue Airways
and US Airways. The regulatory review could take between three and six
months. The ownership review could face opposition from some
larger carriers, which do not want more competition. Three of the five largest U.S. airlines are operating under
bankruptcy protection. The last major airline to enter service was JetBlue in 2000.
It is now one of the industry's strongest players. A spokeswoman for United Airlines, which has a hub in San Francisco and flies transcontinental
routes said it welcomes competition.
Reid said Virgin America has gone "out of its way"
to make sure that its application is within the bounds of
federal law on financial fitness and ownership requirements. "We are totally compliant with existing U.S. law,"
Reid said. U.S. law prohibits an overseas equity stake in a U.S. airline
that exceeds 25 percent voting stock. There are also strict
restrictions on the role of international investors in
operations of domestic airlines. The Transportation Department recently proposed easing some
of those limits, but Reid said the application is unrelated to
that initiative. Federal regulators will review ownership structure,
management competency and financing. Reid said Virgin America
would have no connection with Virgin Atlantic. "We have had no discussions with any sort of airline
with codesharing," Reid said in stressing the independence
of the carrier's operating philosophy. "We may, over time, enter marketing partnerships. We may
have frequent flier partnerships, code share partnerships. But
we're scheduling and making our frequent flier and marketing
plan purely stand-alone."
UK court rejects
thrombosis claim LONDON,
Dec 8 (Reuters) - Britain's highest court on Thursday ruled
against victims of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) who had been
seeking compensation from British Airways and other airlines. A
group of eight people alleged airlines failed to warn them that
the combination of cramped flying conditions and long hours in
the air could give rise to DVT, or blood clots, which can be
fatal. However, Britain's House of Lords said the events which
caused DVT could not be classified as an accident under the
Warsaw Convention governing air travel, upholding an Appeals
Court ruling. Airlines would have faced huge damages claims if
the claimants had won. "It is an integral part of the test
of what amounts to an accident that it must have a cause
external to the passengers. In the case of DVT this factor is
absent," Lord Steyn told the court. British Airways, the
only airline named in the latest claim, welcomed the ruling.
"This means that the decision is final and no claims for
injury or death caused by DVT during the normal operation of an
aircraft can now be brought against airlines in the UK," BA
said in a statement. DVT made international headlines and
airlines came under pressure to do more to prevent the condition
after reports a British woman died from the condition on a
20-hour flight five years ago. Studies have shown up to one in
100 long-haul fliers could develop blood clots. The airlines say
the Warsaw Convention protects them from having to pay
compensation to passengers for medical problems arising from the
normal operation of an aircraft. They say it limits compensation
to being payable only in respect of accidents. The original
claim involved 24 victims suing 18 airlines throughout the world
but the numbers were cut back.
China order 150 Airbus jets worth $9.7 billion PARIS,
Dec 5 (Reuters) - China ordered 150 Airbus single-aisle
passenger jets on Monday in a deal worth some $9.7 billion at
list prices, boosting European industry during a visit to France
by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. Top French and Chinese
aviation officials signed the deal alongside a batch of other
industrial orders following talks between Wen and his French
counterpart Dominique de Villepin. Other agreements include a
deal between China and Eurocopter, the world's largest civilian
helicopter maker, to produce a 6 tonne helicopter, and a
150-million-euro Chinese order for a high-speed Shitai railway
link. Both Airbus and Eurocopter are subsidiaries of European
aerospace firm EADS. China also ordered a telecoms satellite
from Alcatel Alenia Space. The jet deal comes a day after Airbus
agreed with Wen to look at expanding the assembly lines for
single-aisle aircraft outside Europe for the first time by
building a site in China. The A320 family of single-aisle jets
comprises four aircraft capable of seating 107 to 185
passengers.
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