RUSSIA REVEALS STRATEGIC BOMBER PLANS
Moscow has selected Kazan to manufacture a previously undisclosed long-range strike aircraft, Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin has revealed. Kazan will continue to upgrade the Russian air force's current Tupolev Tu-22s and Tu-160s, and then "start assembling a new-generation strategic bomber", RIA Novosti quotes Putin as saying.
TRIP UPS EMBRAER FLEET
Brazilian regional carrier Trip intends to add three leased Embraer 190s to its fleet in the first half of 2011 and is in discussions with two lessors offering eight-year deals. In the meantime it expects to take three E-175s on lease from GECAS by year-end - bringing its total Embraer fleet to nine E-175s - and to receive two new E-190s from the manufacturer in April and May 2011.
US AEROSPACE MAKES NON-CORE DISPOSAL
US Aerospace has divested machine tool maker New Century Remanufacturing, which it says was an "unprofitable non-aerospace business unit". The company - which is appealing against its exclusion from the USA's KC-X tanker competition - expects a gain of over $1 million this quarter as a result of the sale.
CATHAY FIRMS AIRBUS WIDEBODY ORDER
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways has firmed its order for 30 Airbus A350-900s. The aircraft, to be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, are scheduled for delivery over a three-year period from 2016. Cathay also intends to exercise purchase rights for six Boeing 777-300ERs.
ELBIT TEAMS WITH SAGEM
Israel's Elbit Systems and Sagem of France have signed a memorandum of agreement to establish a joint venture that will market tactical unmanned aircraft systems to the French armed forces and other selected countries.
BA CALLS FOR EXPORT-CREDIT RULES CHANGE
Rules restricting access to export-credit guarantees are handicapping British Airways' ability to fund aircraft acquisitions and should be eased, says the carrier's chief executive Willie Walsh. While "home-country rule" prevented airlines from France, Germany, Spain and the UK from using export-credit guarantees to fund purchases from Airbus and Boeing, "these guarantees - and lower borrowing rates - are available to carriers from other countries", says Walsh, who is urging the European Union to "amend the rules".
BOEING PROJECTS NEW JOBS FROM FLEET GROWTH
Boeing has forecast that the commercial aviation industry will require 466,650 pilots and 596,500 maintenance personnel over the next 20 years, given the strong demand for new and replacement aircraft anticipated by its current market outlook.
GERMANY'S ACG EXPANDS CAPACITY
German cargo carrier ACG has introduced a fourth Boeing 747-400BCF to its fleet. The aircraft - an ex-Martinair and ex-Singapore Airlines jet that has been converted from passenger to freighter configuration - has been put the aircraft into service on routes to the Asia-Pacific region.
Source: Flight International
