Boeing 787 Woes Continue With Missing Panel

Boeing has stated a panel from an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner had fell off during a commercial fight on Saturday, this comes off the continuing issues that Boeing has encountered with the Dreamliner.

The jet was carrying 148 people, including crew, on a flight from Delhi to Bangalore, The Times of India newspaper reported. The pilots did not realise the eight-by-four-foot panel was missing until after the flight landed, the newspaper said, adding that India's aviation authorities are investigating.

Air India has since replaced the panel with one of the newly delivered Boeing 787s and Boeing is investigating the cause of this issue.

Brisbane Airport Starts Construction for Second Parallel Runway

Brisbane Airport is going to continue to grow with the new development of a second parallel runway with a cost 1.3 billion and a time frame of 6 years until completion.  The estimates of this second runway will grow the passenger annual traffic from 20 million to 45 million by 2029.

The construction will start within the next coming weeks as workers will start dredging from Moreton Bay, as they start laying the foundation of the runway. Once the foundation of the runway is completed around 2016-2017, we will see the pavement of the 3.3 km runway continue to develop.

Brisbane Airport Corporation will increase its finance to fund this 1.3 billion dollar project and also has said it may increase landing fees for airlines. This may affect the ticket prices for Brisbane Airport flights in the next few years.

The project will help the continuous delays and holding patterns aircrafts are regularly incurring when landing at Brisbane Airport.

Japan Airlines Purchase 31 Airbus A350s

Japan Airlines is finalizing its first ever Airbus order as they have purchased 31 Airbus A350s with an option for a further 25 aircraft.

Japan Airlines 31 aircraft includes 18 A350-900s and 13 1000 type. The airline is predicted to receive its first order in 2019 to replace the aging Boeing 777 fleet.

The order is a massive win for Airbus as its the first ever order within Japan. This comes off the continuing Boeing 787 Dreamliner issues that keep arising around the world.

Air New Zealand Increases Stake In Virgin Australia

Air New Zealand will increase its stake in Virgin Australia to 25.9 percent from its current 22.9%. Air New Zealand wants to increase the competitiveness within the Australian market and have more of a control after Etihad increased its stake to 13.4% last month.Virgin Australia's other major shareholders are Singapore Airlines (19.9 per cent) and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group (12.47 per cent). 

Air New Zealand will continue to become competitive across the Transtasman route as they compete against Qantas and Emirates.

Aer Lingus Passenger Numbers Down 4.6 Percent

Aer Lingus short-haul passenger numbers fell 6.5 percent in September, this is compared with a year ago figures, after rival airline, Ryanair promised aggressive pricing wars to maintain passenger load factors.

Are Lingus passenger load factor fell by 2.7 percent from a year earlier to 81.7 percent. The total passenger numbers including long-haul were down 4.6 percent in September.

Frontier Airlines Sold At Discount

Indigo Partners LLC is buying Frontier Airlines from Republic Airways Holdings Inc for $36 million in cash and $109 million in assumed debt. This is a sheer discount from the $1.1 billion in cash and assumed debt that Republic Airways Holdings paid for the carrier in 2009.

Frontier passengers will expect less leg room and more fees when flying Frontier in the future. Also it is expected that Frontier will change to an ultra-low cost business model.
Those strategies have been the significant of success in Europe and Southeast Asia with Ryanair and Air Asia X. Its becoming the momentous part of fastest growing Airline strategies for success in the recent decade.

Bill Franke is expected to reinvest Frontier to expand the airline for future growth. Frontier Airlines holds roughly 1.5% of the market in the US, he is expected to expand Frontier as it will take delivery of 80 Airbus A320neo between 2016 and 2021, as Mr Franke brought the rights from Republic.