SOUTHWEST Airlines ! WN ! SWA !

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  Bonsoir, chers tous.
  Lien :
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US aviation regulators tightened rules for when safety inspectors can work for airlines, changes intended to avoid the type of cozy relations that upended Southwest Airlines.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements finalised on Friday apply to senior aircraft inspectors who go to work for airlines they oversaw.

Those officials must now wait two years before representing the carrier in any safety matter before the FAA. Until now, there was no waiting period.

"This rule establishes clear restrictions that will improve our safety culture here at the FAA and throughout the aviation industry," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said.

Long-time [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] stalwart Southwest Airlines should soon decide on its Boeing narrowbody aircraft soon now that the airframer has committed to re-engine its [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] narrowbody.

Boeing unveiled its commitment to re-engine last month as it collected half of a massive order from American Airlines. The carrier has not firmed up plans to order 100 of the re-engined aircraft that were part of the arrangement, and Boeing still needs board approval to move forward with development of the programme.

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly stated at the International Aviation Forecast Summit hosted by the Boyd Group that the carrier was pleased to see Boeing make a decision and move forward.

He stated the carrier expects to decide to do "something with Boeing soon or we will consider other options and take advantage of new aerospace technology. But at this point we are continuing to talk with Boeing".

Boeing has released almost no technical detail about the re-engined 737. At the moment Kelly said Southwest is "engaging with them to try to understand the aircraft".

In the short term Southwest plans to accept delivery of the first of 20 737-800s in the first quarter of 2012. Kelly explained the carrier envisions operating at least 75-100 of the type, noting the extra 38 seats compared with the -700 offer more revenue opportunities and "not a lot of additional costs".

LHA a écrit:SWA en aout : cela va bien, merci

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Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today reported August 2011 combined traffic results for Southwest Airlines and AirTran.

AirTran became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Co. ("the Company") on May 2, 2011.

For purposes of comparability, the Company is providing combined traffic results for Southwest Airlines and AirTran for periods prior to the acquisition date. See the accompanying tables for combined results.

The Company flew 9.3 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in August 2011, compared to 9.0 billion combined RPMs flown in August 2010, an increase of 3.9 percent.

Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 4.2 percent to 11.3 billion from the August 2010 combined level of 10.9
billion.

The load factor for August 2011 was 82.6 percent, compared to the combined load factor of 82.8 percent in August 2010.

For August 2011, passenger revenue per ASM (PRASM) is estimated to have increased approximately six percent as compared to August 2010's combined PRASM.

For the first eight months of 2011, the Company flew 70.8 billion combined RPMs, compared to 65.4 billion combined RPMs flown for the same period in 2010, an increase of 8.1 percent.

The combined year-to-date ASMs increased 6.2 percent to 87.0 billion in 2011, compared to the combined level of 82.0 billion for the same period in 2010.

The combined year-to-date load factor was 81.3 percent, compared to the combined load factor of 79.8 percent for the same period in 2010.

FAA seeks to fine ATS $1 million for lapsed Southwest inspections

The US Federal Aviation Administration proposes to fine Everett, Washington-based Aviation Technical Services (ATS) $1.1 million for making improper repairs on 44 Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300s.

ATS allegedly failed to accomplish work required under an airworthiness directive that mandated five repetitive inspections and a one-time inspection to find and repair fatigue cracks in the fuselage skin of the aircraft, said FAA. Those inspections were also required under the Southwest continuous airworthiness maintenance programme.

FAA also stated after the inspections ATS failed to install fasteners in all the rivet holes within the time specified for the task. The aircraft involved returned to service between 1 December 2006 and 18 September 2009.

The agency emphasised the Southwest 737-300 that suffered a fuselage crown failure in April of this year was not one of the 44 aircraft subject to the civil penalty.

FAA's latest proposed fine against ATS follows a previous penalty levied against the maintenance services provider in November 2010. At that time the agency fined ATS $530,250 after it determined ATS deviated from required procedures on fuselage skin crack inspections on 14 737s operated by Southwest.

Southwest Airlines Reports Third Quarter Results

Record operating revenues of $4.3 billion
Third quarter operating income of $225 million
Mark-down in 2012 through 2015 fuel hedge portfolio drives GAAP net loss
Third quarter profit, excluding special items

Dec 7 (Reuters) - Boeing Co is nearing two separate deals with world's No. 2 package delivery company FedEx Corp and discount carrier Southwest Airlines Co , according to media reports.

FedEx plans to order about 30 wide-body freighters from Boeing to replace older, less fuel-efficient jets, Bloomberg said, citing three people familiar with the matter.

A purchase of 30 767-300 freighters would have a list value of about $5.26 billion, based on the $175.4 million catalog price for a plane, Bloomberg said.

The order may be announced as soon as next week, it reported.

Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported that Dallas-based Southwest is nearing a preliminary deal to order more than 100 of Boeing's planned 737 MAX jetliners, citing people familiar with the matter.

Southwest, which has said recently that it is interested in the MAX, declined to comment on the report but said through a spokesman that it is in an ongoing dialogue with its business partners.

Both the companies could announce the planned order in the coming weeks, the Journal said.

Boeing spokeswoman Lauren Penning declined to comment when approached by Reuters.

FedEx were not available for comment outside normal U.S. working hours.

Les aveugles et / ou obsédés (sur les réseaux sociaux, dans leur fauteuil) de la remotorisation, ..... n'intéressent ni le marché, ni les avionneurs !

Southwest Airlines has placed a firm order for 150 Boeing 737 Max aircraft - valued at $19 billion at list prices, the largest firm order in Boeing's history - and will become the launch customer for the re-engined narrowbody.

Southwest Airlines today formally launched CFM International’s advanced LEAP-1B engine on the Boeing 737 MAX with a firm order for 150 airplanes.

In addition, the airline expanded its current order book with an order for 58 additional CFM56-7BE-powered Next-Generation 737-800s.

Sevrien a écrit:

Alongside the firm order for 150 737 Max aircraft, Southwest has also firm-ordered an additional 58 737 Next Generation aircraft. Of these, 25 were existing options.

Donc, ..... 33 commandes "fraîches" + la levée de 25 options existantes (antérieures).

The new orders increase Southwest's firm orders with Boeing to 350 aircraft, scheduled for delivery between 2012 and 2022.

"Backlog" substantiel !

Southwest has substituted 737-800s for all 737-700 deliveries scheduled for 2012 and 2013, in addition to a portion of its 2014 deliveries.

Ainsi, Southwest augmente son PUC, et ouvre la voie à quelques potentielles réductions de ses DOC en terme de "seat-mile costs" !

It has also taken 150 737 Max options, the carrier said.

Comme mentionné di-dessus.

Its Max order includes the flexibility to accept the -7 or -8 variants.

Normal !

Southwest Airlines is embarking on a decade of fleet modernisation after its decision to become the launch customer for the Boeing 737 Max.

The aircraft in today's record order valued at $19 billion for 150 737 Max and 58 Next Generation 737s, join the airline's 142 737 orders already recorded in Boeing's order book. The order also includes a further 150 options for the 737 Max, joining 92 Next Generation 737s for a total of 242 options.

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said the order maintains its financing and flat fleet plan replacing aging 737-500 and -300 aircraft, allowing for "flexibility in the future with retirements and options" if the carrier chooses to grow its fleet.

The order, for which Southwest said received at a "substantial discounts from the list price", will result in an average yearly capital expenditure of $1.2 billion each year between 2012 and 2022, said carrier COO Mike Van De Ven.

"The cost benefit equation allows us to invest in a longer term fleet renewal programme with the expectation that will meet our 15% pre-tax (return on invested capital) hurdle," said Van De Ven.

In total, the company holds 127 orders for Next Generation 737 aircraft, for which the airline can substitute the larger -800, along with 73 firm orders for the -800, including the 58 ordered today, the first of which is due in 2012.

Next year Southwest is taking delivery of 33 new aircraft -- 28 directly from Boeing and five from lessors -- to replace older aircraft exiting the fleet.

The carrier expects to take delivery of four -800s in 2013 and four in 2014, with options for 92 aircraft between 2014 and 2018. Southwest expects to accept delivery of 35 -700s in 2014, 36 in 2015, 31 in 2016, 15 in 2017 and 10 in 2018.

Southwest expects four Max deliveries in 2017, suggesting either a modest production ramp up or a service entry late in the year, with delivery of 15, 33, 34, 34 and 30 in the respective years between 2018 and 2022. Options for deliveries of 18, 19, 23 and 23 737 Max aircraft are available to Southwest between 2021 and 2024.

Further, Van De Ven also suggested that Southwest's commitment to the 737 Max would return the carrier to a single aircraft family, with possible early retirement of the AirTran 717s.

"Our choice today of the 737 Max, guarantees to Southwest Airlines a single-fleet type well into the next decade, with all of the operational benefits associated with training, and schedule recovery and our maintenance programmes," he said.

Assessing Southwest's approach to managing the 86 Boeing 717s it gained through its acquisition of AirTran Van De Ven said: "We have the 717s in long term leases with Boeing from 2017 through 2024, I believe. We've talked with Boeing about how to replace them with newer more efficient airplanes and we're going to work as hard as we can to see what the alternatives are there, but ultimately we're responsible and are willing to operate those airplanes through the lease terms if we have to."

Peut -on anticiper un jeu de théâtre et de comédie entre Boeing, Airbus, ... et RYANAIR ? ;)

Citing fleet commonality and aircraft performance, Southwest Airlines selected the 737 Max over the A320neo, said the airline's technical and operations leaders.

"When you looked at the way we fly, the gauge of our airplanes and all of the other details that make up our mission, we felt that the package around the Max was best suited to Southwest," said Brian Hirshman, the airline's senior vice president of technical operations.

The firm launch order for 150 737 Max aircraft will see the first aircraft delivered to Southwest beginning in 2017, and will be for either the 737-7 or -8.

"Our choice today of the 737 Max, guarantees to Southwest Airlines a single-fleet type well into the next decade, with all of the operational benefits associated with training, and schedule recovery and our maintenance programmes," said Mike Van De Ven, Southwest chief operating officer.

"The 737 Max delivers a competitive fuel burn improvement and engine reliability in a manner that minimises our operational complexity" he added.

The decision came after an technical evaluation of each Boeing and Airbus re-engined narrowbody.

"We did do comparisons between the 737 Max and the Airbus Neo and both airplanes deliver substantial improvements on their existing aircraft," said Van De Ven.

"That decision was not made lightly and was not made without a lot of work and analysis," he added.

"But given the choice of a re-engine with derivatives from the existing airplane we concluded that the 737 Max with its improved economics, its fleet commonality and our network fit was clearly the choice for Southwest Airlines."

Southwest has launched four of the 12 major 737 variants since the aircraft's launch in 1965, including the 737-300, -500 and -700, which make up the core of the airline's fleet today.

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© Boeing

The 737 Max's lighter airframe and runway performance out of airports such as Southwest's Chicago Midway Airport hub tipped the competition in favour of the re-engined 737.

"For instance, Midway, that's got shorter field runways and given the weight characteristics of the aircraft we felt that the Max was just a better fit all around for that kind of mission profile," said Hirshman.

While Boeing has not yet firmed the configuration of the 737 Max, which is expected mid-2013, Southwest chief operating officer Mike Van De Ven said "most the big parameters have been defined".

"One of our requirements was that the Max was going to need to fly essentially at least the same mission as the NG, so same range, same payload, if not better, and we're satisfied that the Max will do that," said Hirshman.

With 350 deliveries scheduled for 2012 through 2022, including 150 737 Max aircraft, 127 737-700s and 73 737-800s, Southwest will advance replacement of its 737-300 and -500 fleet, which Van De Ven said is 16-18% less fuel efficient compared to the CFM International Leap-1B-powered 737 Max.

Jon OSTROWER a ouvert les vannes ! Et il y en a qui croient que le Blogger n'est pas instrumentalisé ?

Southwest Airlines' launch order for the 737 Max will guide the aircraft's development, including which variant is built and tested first.

"Southwest has the flexibility to choose from 737-7s and 737-8s so it's their decision on which will be first," said Boeing of the 150-aircraft launch order.

In its role as launch customer, Southwest - a staunch advocate of minimum change technologies to optimise products and innovate its operational processes - will guide the development of the new 737 variant, which includes the re-engined 737-7, -8 and -9.

"We tried to stay with a commonality theme," said Brian Hirshman, Southwest senior vice president of technical operations. "We wanted this to be as much commonality as we can compared to the 737NG. Of course, we wanted to improve upon efficiency and productivity around the airplane, so we're been working closely with Boeing and it's every much an iterative process. Our intention is to play a very important part in the development of the airplane right up through entry into service."

Boeing

Boeing hopes to minimise the changes between the Next Generation 737 and the 737 Max preserving both the common pilot type rating and grandfathered US Federal Aviation Administration certification.

Boeing anticipates widespread structural strengthening, as well as lengthening the 737 Max's nose landing gear up to 20cm (8in) to accommodate the larger 173cm (68in) engine fan, while developing a new pylon and fly-by-wire spoiler system for the variant.

The first production 737 Max, which will be built on the airframer's Renton, Washington final assembly line, will be delivered to Southwest in 2017, the first of four the airline expects to receive that year.

Boeing first launched its Next Generation 737 family with its -700 model for Southwest, though throughout its production run the larger -800 has become the type's most popular variant, suggesting that Boeing may opt to develop the CFM International Leap-1B-powered 737-8 first.

Southwest press conference on 737 MAX order

Southwest Airlines held a web press conference (with written question submissions the staff can screen in advance–bad idea) on its new 737 MAX order. Here are highlights:

Gary Kelly, CEO

• Only four 737 MAX delivered in 2017. Just 15 the following year. (From press release.)
  
• Christmas came early to Southwest. [Last time Kelly said that was when he proposed moving from Sea-Tac to Boeing Field in Seattle. Got his head handed to him in the local opposition. Editor.]
  
• We have seen tremendous advances with technology.
  
• COO Mike Van der Ven led effort.
  
• This is coming at just the right time. One of the main challenges we face are high fuel costs. We are very much in need of new technology to reduce the fuel burn and reduce environmental impact.
  
• This supports our financial strategy.
  
• Commonality major point.
  

Jim Albaugh, CEO of BCA.

• [Albaugh looks a lot happier at this press conference than he did at the American Airlines one.]
  
• Southwest is a special customer and we have a special relationship.
  
• This is the first definitive agreement we signed. Southwest will get airplane #1 when it rolls off the line in Renton.
  
• [With Southwest getting only 4 airplanes in 2017, this suggests a late 2017 EIS.--Editor]
  
• 948 commitments now, projects 1,400-1,500 by the end of next year.
  
• I don’t have the real thing but I have a model for you and a video.
  
• [Video shows MAX will winglets, not the oft-speculated raked wingtips.]
  
• This is largest order in Boeing’s history.
  

Kevin McAllister, VP Sales and Marketing for GE, representing CFM.

• Southwest formally launches the LEAP-1B.
  

Mike Van der Ven, COO.

• This allows us to accelerate the retirement of older airplanes.
  
• Have 150 options to expand as well.
  
• Our choice guarantees WN a single fleet type well into the next decade.
  
• 16-18% fuel burn improvement over 737 Classics.
  
• We’ve been in conversations with Boeing for several years.
  
• Efficiency improvements allow up to improve without complexity.
  
• Compared with A320neo and both did the job but 737 MAX was our choice.
  
• Cost is $1.2bn for all outstanding orders (including those existing before today). Per year.
  
• Airplanes still being defined.
  
• 717s in leases 2017-2020+ and will work to see what the alternatives are but will operate through lease terms if we have to.
  
• Primary factors of fleet commonality and gauge of 737-8 (more seats), lighter airplane vs A320.
  
• We like the GTF technology but this comes as a package and CFM has millions of flight hours behind it. GE and CFM have been very good in past in delivering products on time and meeting specifications.
  

Brian Hirshman, SVP Technology, WN

• We did extensive analysis vs A320neo and felt 737 MAX better suited.
  
• Plane works better at Chicago Midway Airport, among other issues.
  
• MAX would have to fly the same mission as NG and are satisfied it would do that.
  
• We wanted as much commonality as we can.
  

John Hamilton, Boeing 737 chief engineer.

• The airplane is fairly well defined. Will reach final configuration in 2013. It’s well enough known that WN and Boeing had confidence to go forward at this time.
  
• MAX will have capability to have increased payload-range vs NG.
  
• Airport performance was important, especially at key airports.
  
• We will make sure we get Southwest what it wants.
  
• We both would have liked a new airplane, but when you look at lessons learned [from 787] it was more challenging to bring to market in the timeframe customers wanted.
  

Chaker Chahrour, EVP CFM

• Core is optimized for MAX for best overall fuel burn.
  
• We believe we have much more credible technology than GTF. We have tremendous amount of confidence in our technology and at the end of the day it will be the most economical.
  

Jeannot a écrit:Quelques propos extraits de la conférence de presse de la commande de Southwest. A prendre au deuxième degré...

Southwest press conference on 737 MAX order

Southwest Airlines held a web press conference (with written question submissions the staff can screen in advance–bad idea) on its new 737 MAX order. Here are highlights:

Gary Kelly, CEO

• Only four 737 MAX delivered in 2017. Just 15 the following year. (From press release.)
  
• Christmas came early to Southwest. [Last time Kelly said that was when he proposed moving from Sea-Tac to Boeing Field in Seattle. Got his head handed to him in the local opposition. Editor.]
  
• We have seen tremendous advances with technology.
  
• COO Mike Van der Ven led effort.
  
• This is coming at just the right time. One of the main challenges we face are high fuel costs. We are very much in need of new technology to reduce the fuel burn and reduce environmental impact.
  
• This supports our financial strategy.
  
• Commonality major point.

Jim Albaugh, CEO of BCA.

• (Albaugh looks a lot happier at this press conference than he did at the American Airlines one.)
  
• Southwest is a special customer and we have a special relationship.
  
• This is the first definitive agreement we signed. Southwest will get airplane #1 when it rolls off the line in Renton.
  
• (With Southwest getting only 4 airplanes in 2017, this suggests a late 2017 EIS.--Editor)

• 948 commitments now, projects 1,400-1,500 by the end of next year.
  
• I don’t have the real thing but I have a model for you and a video.
  
• (Video shows MAX will winglets, not the oft-speculated raked wingtips).
  
• This is largest order in Boeing’s history.

Kevin McAllister, VP Sales and Marketing for GE, representing CFM.

• Southwest formally launches the LEAP-1B.

Mike Van der Ven, COO.

• This allows us to accelerate the retirement of older airplanes.
  
• Have 150 options to expand as well.
  
• Our choice guarantees WN a single fleet type well into the next decade.
  
• 16-18% fuel burn improvement over 737 Classics.

• We’ve been in conversations with Boeing for several years.
  
• Efficiency improvements allow up to improve without complexity.
  
• Compared with A320neo and both did the job but 737 MAX was our choice.

• Cost is $1.2bn for all outstanding orders (including those existing before today). Per year.
  
• Airplanes still being defined.
  
• 717s in leases 2017-2020+ and will work to see what the alternatives are but will operate through lease terms if we have to.

• Primary factors of fleet commonality and gauge of 737-8 (more seats), ......

• .....lighter airplane vs A320.

We like the GTF technology but this comes as a package and CFM has millions of flight hours behind it. GE and CFM have been very good in past in delivering products on time and meeting specifications.

Brian Hirshman, SVP Technology, WN

• We did extensive analysis vs A320neo and felt 737 MAX better suited.
  
• Plane works better at Chicago Midway Airport, among other issues.
  
• MAX would have to fly the same mission as NG and are satisfied it would do that.
  
• We wanted as much commonality as we can.

John Hamilton, Boeing 737 chief engineer.

• The airplane is fairly well defined. Will reach final configuration in 2013. It’s well enough known that WN and Boeing had confidence to go forward at this time.
  
• MAX will have capability to have increased payload-range vs NG.
  
• Airport performance was important, especially at key airports.
  
• We will make sure we get Southwest what it wants.
  
• We both would have liked a new airplane, but when you look at lessons learned (from 787) it was more challenging to bring to market in the timeframe customers wanted.

Chaker Chahrour, EVP CFM

• Core is optimized for MAX for best overall fuel burn.

GE ne va tout de même pas mettre en chantier une nouvelle version de GEnx --'GEnx bis' :roll: -- pour un programme de remotorisation (programme trop compliqué, onéreux et irréaliste) pour le B787, juste pour faire plaisir aux obsédés de la remotorisation des réseaux sociaux ! Les 'obsédés textuels de la remotorisation' vont apprendre & comprendre un jour, .... peut-être !

• We believe we have much more credible technology than GTF. We have tremendous amount of confidence in our technology and at the end of the day it will be the most economical.

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Southwest launches 737-8, bypasses 737-7 for now

Here is an article we did yesterday for Flightglobal Pro’s subscription service.

The Southwest Airlines order on 13 December launching the 737 Max programme is a launch of the -8 version. The carrier, which has substitution rights between the -7 and the -8, has chosen to bypass the -7 for now.

Brian Hirshman, SVP Technical Operations, told Flightglobal Pro on 15 December that the carrier is up-gauging its fleet, which it began doing this year with acquisition of the 737-800 for the first time. Southwest, throughout its history since is 1971 birth, has relied on the 737-200/300/500/700, preferring smaller sized aircraft and high frequency as its business model.

As the carrier expanded into congested and slot controlled airports and as fuel prices went up, the extra capacity and lower seat mile costs of the larger -800 prompted a change from Southwest’s long-standing practice of buying only the -700 variant.

Hirshman said Southwest by-passed the 737-7 even though it is larger than the Boeing 717 it is inheriting from the acquisition of AirTran. The 717 will seat 117 passengers in Southwest’s configuration when the two airlines are integrated. At the press conference announcing the order, Southwest’s officials said they are prepared to operate the 717 the full lease terms to the end of this decade and into the next. But they also said they will be talking to Boeing about these airplanes’ future.

Hirshman told Flightglobal Pro that Southwest evaluated the Bombardier CSeries early on but it was too small to make the final cut. The Airbus A320neo received serious consideration and was not used as a bargaining chip, he said.

“We gave it a very, very serious look, closer than we had ever looked at Airbus,” Hirshman said. “We spent a lot of time understanding how it would perform our missions. At the end of the day we decided Max better fit our profile. We did not use [Airbus] as a negotiating tactic. We were dead serious. The neo is a good product.”

An independent consultant with knowledge of the competition told Flightglobal Pro that Airbus came closer to winning the order than people realize.

Southwest, during its press conference, cited 737 Max fuel savings figures of 10-11% compared with Boeing’s oft-stated target of 10-12%. Hirshman said Southwest’s analysis for the 737-7 and 737-8 concluded the former figures are “good numbers.”

Hirshman also said Southwest’s analysis supported the CFM and Boeing statements that a 68 inch fan for the LEAP engine is optimal for the 737, despite the very public argument set forth by Airbus that the 737 LEAP’s smaller fan compared with neo’s 78 inch LEAP engine won’t be as efficient.

“We spent a tremendous amount of time to understand the differences,” Hirshman said. “Sixty eight does appear to be optimal size for the airplane. There is this illusion that bigger is better. We actually agree with Boeing and CFM.” The customized core will make the difference, Hirshman said. The core will be standard LEAP architecture and design but will be specifically designed for the 737 Max.

Nonetheless, in evaluating the A320neo, which is powered by another version of the LEAP as well as Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbo Fan (GTF), Hirshman praised the GTF. “We were quite intrigued with GTF technology and we think it is pretty bold and innovative. We think it has a great future in commercial aviation. The concept is not new and makes complete sense. Intuitively it made sense. Pratt has a good product there,” he said.

Southwest is scheduled to get only four 737 Max in 2017. Hirshman confirmed that this means a fourth quarter entry-into-service.

“However, it’s pretty early in the program,” he said. “There is potential it can move to the left. At this point in the program, Boeing guarantees a certain number of airplanes per year. When it gets 24-36 months out, they begin defining delivery dates.”