Both runways were closed at Heathrow Airport this morning after a British Airways A319 made an emergency landing on the North runway after an engine failure thought to be caused by a bird strike. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the aircraft following the incident at about 09:00 BST. Witnesses stated seeing a black smoke trail from one of the engines.
The southern runway has since re-opened. The northern runway remains closed given that the BA A319 remains on it with chutes deployed.

Etihad Airways has appointed Mansour Al Marzouqi as its new General Manager in Belarus

The Armenian State Revenues Committee (SRC) is suing airline, Armavia, over air tax payments. However the state has not been able to disclose how much the airline owes since the final calculation of its debts to the state has not been made yet. Armavia filed for bankruptcy on April 1.

Rolls-Royce has won an order from US leasing company CIT Aerospace for Trent XWB engines to power ten Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and Trent 700 engines to power 13 Airbus A330 aircraft.

The Trent XWB engines will power ten CIT A350 aircraft that were announced in January 2013 which were in addition to five A350 XWB aircraft already on order.

Jeff Knittel, Chief Executive Officer, CIT Transportation Finance, said: “As one of the largest aircraft lessors in the world, we strive to provide our customers with the most fuel efficient, technologically advanced products. The Trent family of engines has proven to be reliable in offering high fuel and operating efficiency, and it remains in high demand among our global customer base.”

Eric Schulz, President – Civil Large Engines, Rolls-Royce, said: “CIT is a valued customer and we are delighted that it has again put its trust in our industry-leading technology. This order underscores the market-leading position of the Trent 700, and reflects our ability to deliver a Trent XWB engine that has already proven itself in test flights to be the most efficient large aero engine flying today.”

The Trent XWB, specifically designed for the Airbus A350, is the fastest selling Trent engine ever, with more than 1,200 already sold. The engine variant that will power the A350-800 and -900 was awarded European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification in February. The engine will power the first flight of the Airbus A350 XWB this year and the aircraft’s first in-service flight in 2014.

The Trent 700 is the only engine specifically designed for the Airbus A330 and more than 1,400 Trent 700 engines are either in service or on order. The engine is the market leader on the Airbus A330 and has won 70 per cent of new orders over the last four years.

In an update on the progress of ‘Delivery and Future Direction’, the package of measures implemented by Flybe UK to return to growth, the airline states that the action it has taken so far will deliver £30m of cost savings in 2013/14 against the £25m target.
Flybe has also announced further initiatives under the turnaround plan. The first is an agreement to transfer its 25 pairs of arrival and departure slots at London Gatwick Airport to easyJet for a total consideration of £20m. The realisation of the value of these slots will help Flybe finance its return to profitability, says the airline. Completion is subject to Class 1 shareholder approval, expected in July 2013.
The second initiative comprises an agreement with Embraer for the deferral of 16 new E175 aircraft due for delivery during 2014 and 2015. The aircraft will now not be delivered until 2017 to 2019 and will lead to a reduction in pre-delivery payment commitments in winter 2013/14 of £20m.
Details of Phase 2 of Flybe’s turnaround plan is currently being implemented, targeting a further £12m of savings in 2013/14, and an annual run rate saving of £23m from 2014/15 onwards.
Head count at the airline has already reduced by 22% from 2,730 to 2,140, while Flybe has reached an agreement in principle with the British Airlines Pilots Association (BALPA), for up to a 5% reduction in salary in return for extra time off.
The turnaround plan is being financed without recourse to shareholders through:

On Monday, Atlas Air closed a $143 million Eximbond arranged by bookrunners BNP Paribas and KGS Alpha. The transaction priced at a coupon of 1.825% (MS+0.50) and was oversubscribed.

Intrepid Aviation close a US$34 million PDP (Pre-Delivery Payment) financing facility with BNP Paribas yesterday that covers two A330 aircraft ordered from Airbus and delivering in 2014. This is Intrepid’s first financing facility with BNP Paribas.

“We are delighted to have the support of BNP Paribas in funding our growth strategy. BNP Paribas is one of the long-term committed global aviation financiers and an important banking partner for us, with whom we are pleased to enter into a formal business relationship. It is a strong expression of confidence by BNP Paribas in our team, strategy and ability to scale our business”, said Olaf Sachau, Intrepid’s Chief Financial Officer.

“BNP Paribas is proud to be a close partner of Intrepid Aviation and to assist the company at this stage of its growth. Intrepid’s highly skilled management team has been key in reaching truly impressive achievements in the past few years,” said Olivier Trauchessec, Global Head of Origination, Aviation Finance, BNP Paribas. “Intrepid is set to be a leading aircraft lessor. BNP Paribas looks forward to a continued relationship and to accompany Intrepid in its growth plan,” he added.

Flybe and Serco are facing customer complaints related to their care of passengers whose flights were delayed in the north of the UK caused by fog. Passengers on flights that set off for Shetland landed in Orkney due to fog and were unable to continue their journeys. They were required to spend an uncomfortable night on the North Boat after being left by the flight operator in Kirkwall.
Flybe is now processing the feedback from disgruntled passengers.

A new Fixed Base Operator (FBO) has been set up in St. Petersburg. The Pulkovo-3 FBO at Pulkovo International Airport officially opened for business on March 6, initially handling only domestic flights. According to the purpose-built facility’s operator, JetPort SPb, it should be ready to handle international flights as soon as customs and immigration facilities are fully in place.
The new private terminal occupies a 24-acre site between the Pulkovo-1 domestic airline passenger complex and the main cargo warehouse. The main part of the FBO is a 43,000-sq-ft, two-floor business aviation immediately adjacent to Pulkovo’s apron area number six, with space for parking approximately 28 aircraft.
The next phase of JetPort SPb’s privately funded $65 million development should be completed in late 2013 or early 2014. This will include hangars large enough to accommodate three Boeing Business Jets or as many as 18 midsized jets. It will also include a covered and heated area for the FBO’s comprehensive array of ground-support equipment and vehicles.

Cambridge Airport has announced the opening of a new European airline base as award-winning European regional carrier, Darwin Airline, unveils brand new scheduled services
linking Amsterdam, Paris, Milan and Geneva with Cambridge.

The new services will be operated by European regional airline Darwin Airline, incode-share partnership with SkyTeam member Alitalia.

Commencing from 2 September 2013, Darwin Airline will be offering a total of 50 flights a week to and from Cambridge. This will include a planned timetable of 24 weekly flights to and from Amsterdam; 12 weekly flights to and from Paris CDG (East Anglia’s only air service to the French capital); eight weekly flights to and from Milan Malpensa, and six weekly services to and from Darwin Airline’s main hub at Geneva.

Maurizio Merlo, CEO at Darwin Airline, says: “As we expand within Europe, the UK is a key market for us to further establish and we are delighted to open our new base in the heart of East England. Cambridge is at the forefront of several business sectors and spearheading the UK’s economic growth – it is thriving and vibrant, one of the UK’s most valuable and affluent markets. The team here at Cambridge Airport and many of the city’s stakeholders have inspired us to invest and connect the region to Europe and beyond.”