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Boeing 787 Dreamliner wing test looks ‘positive’

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The first production Boeing 787 takes off on it’s inaugural flight from Paine Field in Everett, Wash. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, file)

Dow Jones Newswires | Boeing Co. said the results of a key airworthiness test for its long
delayed 787 are “positive,” but it will be weeks before the aircraft
maker can say whether it’s a success.

The aircraft maker said Sunday the test involved flexing the jet’s
wings while applying loads to the frame to replicate 150 percent of the
most extreme forces the airplane could experience in flight. The wings were pushed up about 25 feet during the ground test performed at Boeing’s Everett, Wash., factory.

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Airbus says U.S. has invited it to bid on tanker

From the Times Online | The chief executive of European plane maker Airbus said his company will decide in the next two to three weeks whether to reenter the bidding contest for for a $35 billion U.S. Air Force refueling tanker contract after being invited by the Pentagon to bid as the lead contractor.

Northrop Grumman, Airbus’ U.S. partner in the controversial first round of bidding, pulled out of the bid two weeks ago, saying the terms of the bid favored Boeing.

Get the full story: business.timesonline.uk

United Airlines signs maintenance contract

Dow Jones Newswires | United Airlines and Aircraft Maintenance & Engineering Corp. have signed a five-year maintenance contract for heavy maintenance, the companies said in a joint statement Monday.

Ameco will perform maintenance on United’s fleet of Boeing 747s and 777s beginning in June, the statement said. United previously had an agreement with Ameco for heavy maintenance of its B777 fleet that expired last year.

United operates 52 Boeing 777s and 24 Boeing 747s. Ameco is a joint venture between Air China Ltd. and Deutsche Lufthansa AG  established in August 1989. 

AAR Corp. buys Blackwater aviation unit

Associsated Press | The security company formerly known as Blackwater shed its aviation
division Thursday, selling the unit for $200 million to AAR Corp in a
bid to strengthen the firm’s balance sheet.

Wood Dale, Ill.-based AAR will get two aviation units that operate
under the umbrella name of Aviation Worldwide Services. That division
has a fleet of 58 aircraft, many of which were used under U.S.
government contract in Afghanistan for Blackwater, which now operates
under the name Xe Services.

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Treaty lets overseas investors buy U.S. airlines

By Julie Johnsson |
The U.S. and European Union have struck a sweeping new pact to
liberalize air travel across the North Atlantic, the largest market in
the world, by eliminating restrictions on foreign ownership and control
of airlines.

The Open Skies II agreement, which must be approved
by the U.S. Congress and European parliament, would end U.S. rules
limiting overseas investors to a 25 percent ownership stake in a U.S.
airline.

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Boeing: World’s airplanes will double by 2028

Dow Jones Newswires | The market for new commercial jet planes
is forecast at some $3.2 trillion over the next 20 years, while the
global fleet will add around 29,000 new passenger and freight planes
over the same period, a Boeing Co. executive said Tuesday.

According to the U.S. aerospace giant, as the world recovers from its
worst economic slump in decades, airlines’ profits are set to improve
in 2011 and plane sales are to expand in 2012. If Boeing’s projections hold up, the global fleet of commercial
passenger and freight planes will have practically doubled by 2028.

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WTO ruling a win for U.S., Boeing

By Julie Johnsson
|
Boeing Co. and the U.S. government scored a sweeping victory Tuesday in
an escalating trade battle with the European Union over government
subsidies provided to France’s Airbus SAS.

A final report issued by a panel of the World Trade Organization found
that four European governments illegally provided Airbus with
below-market-rate financing to develop jetliners, giving it an unfair
advantage over Chicago-based Boeing, say people familiar with the
confidential report.

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Weekday fliers can get cheap fares if they act now

Associated Press | Leading discount airlines have launched
a new round of airfare sales for summer, but travelers may have to act
fast and be flexible on dates to grab the best deals.

Sales from JetBlue Airways, Frontier Airlines and AirTran Airways end
this week.

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UAL hires Sabatino as general counsel

By Wailin Wong  | UAL Corp, the parent company of United Airlines, said it has hired Thomas J. Sabatino Jr. as general counsel.

Sabatino joins the airline March 29 and will report to UAL Chief Executive Glenn Tilton, the company said in a statement. Sabatino previously was general counsel at pharmaceutical company Schering Plough, which merged with Merck last year. Before that, Sabatino was general counsel at Baxter International.

Russian firms may bid on refueling tanker

From the Washington Post | In a new twist in the Air Force refueling tanker saga, a holding company for several Russian aerospace firms is expected to announce Monday a joint venture with an American defense contractor, described as not being on of the four largest, to bid on the $35 billion contract.

Get the full story: washingtonpost.com

Tanker: EADS, Russians may compete with Boeing

By Julie Johnsson
| Boeing Co. may face new European and Russian competition for a $35-billion contract to provide the U.S. Air Force with tankers.

It had appeared that Chicago-based Boeing would be the only bidder for the contract when California-based Northrop Grumman Corp. withdrew March 8, concluding it stood little chance of winning with a tanker based on the Airbus A330 jetliner.

But the France-based parent of Boeing-rival Airbus SAS, European
Aeronautic Defense and Space Co., said Friday it was considering bidding
on its own after receiving assurances the Defense Department “would
welcome” a tanker bid from the company’s North America subsidiary.

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Boeing to speed up production of 777s, 747s

Associated Press | Boeing will speed up production plans for its
777 and 747 models in anticipation of greater demand from commercial
airlines in a couple of years.

The aircraft maker, based in Chicago, said Friday it will increase
production of its fuel-efficient 777 wide-body in mid-2011 to seven
airplanes per month from five. The ramp-up was originally planned early
2012.

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Continental will get 787s from Boeing in 2011

Dow Jones Newswires | Continental Airlines Inc. said Thursday that it expected to receive the first six 787-8 aircraft from Boeing Co. in the second half of next year.

The disclosure in a regulatory filing could see Continental become the U.S. launch customer for the delayed aircraft. Delta Air Lines Inc., which inherited a 787 order through its takeover of Northwest Airlines, remains in talks with Boeing about its deal.

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FAA slaps American with new $300,000 fine

Associated Press | Federal regulators have hit American Airlines with $300,000 in new penalties over maintenance issues.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday American’s mechanics
put off maintenance last year on a part designed to ensure that pilots
get accurate readings on speed. The FAA said mechanics noted problems
with a dashboard light on a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, then discovered
the next day that a part called a pitot probe heater wasn’t working.

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Delta adds N.Y. business shuttle flights at O’Hare

By Ameet Sachdev | Delta Air Lines will expand its service out of O’Hare International Airport in June, offering 11 daily flights to New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The service on Delta’s business shuttle will replace existing, less-frequent flights between LaGuardia and Chicago’s Midway Airport.

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