Qatar Airways : QR : QTR

The stakes could not be higher as [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] begins transitioning its newest large turbofan into production. The [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] is the sole offerable powerplant to equip the European airframer's flagship 250- to 350-seat [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] long-range twinjet family, designed to single-handedly see off the formidable two-pronged competitive threat posed by Boeing's [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]-powered [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] models and the long-delayed mid-market 787.
Airbus can perhaps sleep a little easier in the knowledge that the Trent XWB is the latest evolution in a long line of three-shaft large turbofans that began with the introduction of the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] on the A330 in the 1990s. The family subsequently grew to include the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] for early 777 models, followed by the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] for the A340-500/600, [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] for the ultra-large [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and, most recently, the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] bleedless [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]

Despite the Trent XWB's heritage, R-R has not missed the opportunity to incorporate cutting-edge technology into the new powerplant and has made some significant advances even compared with the Trent 1000, which is yet to fly on the 787.

UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGE

An unprecedented challenge for the engine maker has been the requirement to design from the outset a common engine for all three major A350 variants: the baseline -900, -800 shrink and -1000 stretch, due to enter service in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively.

"There is a clear mix of heritage: a great platform to build on, but great technologies being built into the engine," says Trent XWB chief engineer Chris Young.
Airbus's decision to abandon its initial plans for the A350 (which would have essentially involved bolting 787-technology engines on to a revamped [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] airframe) and switch to the all-new XWB concept, left R-R with the task of addressing the 74-92,000lb-thrust (329-409kN) band with one engine family.

Young describes this as "a reasonably large thrust range, but nothing outside the capability of what we've done in the past. It's pretty much the same as the Trent 800". He adds, however, that a key difference is that a "very planned approach right up front" is being taken to that thrust range.

Historically, engines at the higher end of such a family have tended to be "throttle-pushed" and run at hotter temperatures, while those at the lower end have been oversized for the airframe and therefore too heavy.

"The challenge is catering for a very large thrust range while making sure that you don't kill the maintenance costs
for the engine at the top of the thrust class, and you don't kill the fuel burn of the one at the bottom of the thrust class," says Young.

THRUST RATINGS

Following recent airframe weight increases announced by Airbus, the "final" thrust ratings for the three A350 variants are due to be revealed to airline customers at a programme progress review in Hamburg on 2 April. The current ratings, nominally 74,000lb (for the -800), 83,000lb (-900) and 92,000lb (-1000), are expected to be revised slightly upwards to cater for the new airframe operating weights.

"Our basic strategy on this engine is we have a single engine type," says Young. "We design it originally for the -900, nominally an 83,000lb-rated engine at the moment, and that engine we absolutely optimise for a 2013 entry-into-service level of technology.
"The -800 engine is identical, we just derate down to that [74,000lb] level, but that allows us to deliver outstanding hot-and-high performance," he adds.

However, the 350-seat A350-1000, which will have a maximum take-off weight of 298t, will require a modified engine.

"What we have said is that rather than build a slightly bigger core or slightly bigger fan [to cater for the -1000], we'll optimise it as well as we can for [the -900 in] 2013, then we'll insert new technology for 2015 that will allow us to build the thrust rating up," says Young. The message from existing and prospective A350 customers was "make sure that you don't compromise the smaller aircraft through total commonality", he adds.

The engine that will power the A350-1000 will therefore incorporate two significant modifications. The first of these is a new fan system, although the basic 3m (118in) fan diameter and blade aerodynamics will be retained. "If you looked at it from 10 paces you wouldn't notice the difference," says Young.
For the -1000, the fan will be run at a higher speed to achieve the required flow rates, and will therefore be equipped with thicker titanium fan blades and a stronger fan casing.

Young points out that using the strengthened fan system across the whole engine family would have added excessive weight to the variant for the A350-800, while the fan "doesn't need much maintenance and can stay with aircraft", therefore mitigating the impact of the loss of commonality.

The second change to the A350-1000's Trent XWB will be an increase in the operating temperature capability of the core, taking advantage of new turbine technologies developed through the European Environmentally Friendly Engine (EFE) research programme.

"We've a number of options as to what we need to do [for the A350-1000], but we don't need to finalise our decision until around about the middle of next year," says Young.

The changes will mainly concern turbine blade design, materials, coatings and cooling technologie and capitalise on concepts due to be tested on the EFE demonstrator.
"That suite of technologies, if they all come good, is more than we need [to achieve 92,000lb for the -1000]," says Young. "We can have a drop-out rate of them not quite being ready on time, and we'll still be perfectly capable of achieving the required thrust rating."

Due to the common fan size, which enables the use of an identical titanium forging for the casing, "the level of commonality actually ends up being huge", says Young.

Although the baseline Trent XWB - optimised for 83,000lb of take-off thrust for the A350-900 - would be able to run at up to 92,000lb for the -1000, the fan and core changes are being introduced to maintain durability.


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"The technology insertion is really more around recovering your time-on-wing back to the same sort of levels as the 84,000lb engine, by giving you a greater turbine gas temperature margin," says Young. "It's a maintenance cost resetting via use of technology."

The engine core improvements developed for the 2015 entry-into-service of the A350-1000 could eventually be incorporated into earlier versions of the Trent XWB that will by then be in service on the -800/900 models.

"The intent is that the new core [for the -1000] would have the capability of being read across to all of the previous [-800/900] engines" says Young, who adds that decisions to upgrade engines already in service will be looked at on a case-by-case basis.
Ultimately, the cruise thrust required across the three A350 derivatives is broadly similar, because they share a highly common wing.

"When people ask how can you effectively and efficiently do one [engine] that covers the whole [A350] family - well, it's not the headline take-off thrust number that you're really trying to optimise around," says Young.

The basic architecture of the Trent XWB was finalised in mid-2007, including fan diameter, the number of compressor and turbine stages and core size. Subsystem configuration was frozen in September 2008. Towards the end of last year contracts were agreed with the 12 risk- and revenue-sharing industrial partners.
"We're on the point of freezing the design, launching all of the parts into manufacture and some of the long lead time parts are there already," says Young. Bench testing of the first engine is to begin in the second quarter of 2010*****, with certification targeted for the end of 2011.

The flight-test programme for the A350 itself is scheduled to get under way in early 2012, but the Trent XWB is due to get airborne aboard A380 MSN001 during the first half of 2011.

COMPUTER MODELLING

Young says that to make maximum use of the latest computer modelling techniques and rig-testing to reduce the risk of development problems arising downstream, "far more resource" has been put into this programme in the early stages than before, "when it can have the biggest effect and we have time to react".

On previous programmes maturity testing began after certification, but these two "streams" of work are being done in parallel for the Trent XWB. "It's a restructuring of the way we run these programmes," says Young.
The Trent XWB's 3m, 22-blade titanium fan is 51mm (2in) wider than the Trent 900's and therefore the biggest yet produced by R-R.

"We've ended up with a core a bit smaller than the Trent 900, even though the thrust is a bit higher," says Young. The 9.3:1 bypass ratio XWB is also the first Trent to feature a two-stage intermediate-pressure turbine, which Young says "puts growth capability into the engine", .....

"........and is the first to incorporate blisks, which have seen several years of successful service in the Boeing 717's BR715 turbofan".

Another milestone for the Trent XWB is the ability to modulate the amount of air bled to cool the turbine blades, further optimising cruise efficiency.

Relative to the engines powering first-generation widebodies such as the 747, R-R predicts the Trent XWB will deliver 28% better fuel burn, and expects a 15% improvement relative to the first iteration of the Trent 700.

Having worked so closely with Airbus to tailor the three-shaft Trent XWB to meet the requirements of the A350, R-R sees challenges for rival engine manufacturers GE or Pratt & Whitney, should they choose to offer an alternative powerplant.

"We've had the benefit of being able to set the [A350's] engine cycle around the three-shaft engine," says Richard Keen, R-R head of marketing for Airbus programmes. "There'd be compromises for a two-shaft engine that tried to adapt to the same cycle and fan size that we've set," he adds.

The 12 partners on the Trent XWB are responsible for just over 40% of the workshare (see graphic), of which three are described by R-R director of risk and revenue sharing partners Bill Boyd as "cornerstone". ITP, in which R-R owns a large minority stake, is responsible for the design and manufacture of the low-pressure turbine (LPT) module, while Kawasaki Heavy Industries has the intermediate-pressure (IP) compressor module, and Mitsubishi the LPT blades, IP turbine discs and parts of the combustor.

Rolls-Royce will begin ground-testing the first [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] for the A350 in May, ahead of a 140h flight-test programme on board an A380 early in 2011.[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]

Rolls-Royce's Trent XWB programme team reaches the show in buoyant mood after completing the Airbus A350 powerplant's first run on 17 June.

Qatar Airways sticks by Boeing 787 despite delays

DOHA, Qatar — Qatar Airways' CEO expressed confidence in Boeing Co. over its delayed 787 program Saturday, but warned the fast-growing carrier may need to scrap orders for the planes if development problems drag on.
Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker noted, however, that there are no current plans to amend Qatar Airways' orders for 30 787s and options for 30 more.
"If there is another slip, yes we will have no alternative" but to consider canceling orders, he said. "But as of today, I still have confidence in Boeing."
Al-Baker has been one of the most vocal critics of 787 delays.
He made the comments Saturday as he opened a new arrivals terminal at Doha International Airport to accommodate the airline's rapid growth. The facility, part of a $1 billion revamp of the airport, is meant to provide additional space until a new airport opens in 2012.
Test flights on the 787, also known as the Dreamliner, were halted last month because of an electrical fire, adding another wrinkle to a development program that is running well behind schedule.
Boeing is aiming to deliver the first 787 to Japan's All Nippon Airways early next year — nearly three years later than originally hoped. That target is widely expected to be pushed back further.
The 787 is made mostly of composite materials designed to make it lighter and more fuel-efficient than other planes of the same size.
In Doha, al-Baker said Qatar Airways is on track to turn a profit for the second straight year in a row this year. He said the airline is generating "a very hefty profit" but didn't provide specifics.
That has prompted the carrier to begin laying the groundwork for an initial public offering of its shares, he said. He said the IPO could be launched as early as 2012 and involve a sale of as much as a 50 percent stake in the company.
Qatar Airways is growing rapidly, adding 18 new planes and 10 new destinations to its network so far this year. The carrier has ordered five of Airbus' A380s, with the first expected for delivery in 2013.
Al-Baker said Qatar Airways' board is mulling further orders for the double-decker planes but didn't provide details. "You will hear it when we announce" it, he said.

Qatar Airways 'to launch IPO in 2012'

DOHA — Qatar's fast growing national carrier Qatar Airways is set to launch an initial public offering (IPO) in early 2012 after achieving profitability, it said on Sunday.
A spokesman for the carrier confirmed to AFP comments by Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar al-Baker published on Sunday in the Gulf Times daily, in which he said he was "pretty confident" of launching the IPO in early 2012.
Qatar Airways had said before that it would offer shares to the public after achieving profitability in three consecutive years.
"We have always said we will go in for an IPO once we register three consecutive years of profit," Baker said on Saturday.
"In the last financial year, we realised a net profit; this year also we are heading towards a net profit. We are hopeful of deriving a net profit in the next financial year as well," he added.
He said the carrier has made a handsome net profit last year, but refrained from revealing how much.
"I can tell you we have made good net profit in the last financial year, though we will disclose the exact figure only when we get listed," he said.
Qatar Airways has a fleet of 92 aircraft, with orders for 80 Airbus A350s, 60 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 29 Boeing 777s, eight Airbus A321s and five Airbus A380-800 superjumbos. These orders include options.
Baker said the new Doha International Airport, set to open in 2012, will have an initial capacity to handle 28 million passengers yearly.

Jeannot a écrit:Qatar Airways pourrait lancer une ouverture de son capital au public dès 2012.

Qatar Airways 'to launch IPO in 2012'

DOHA — Qatar's fast growing national carrier Qatar Airways is set to launch an initial public offering (IPO) in early 2012 after achieving profitability, it said on Sunday.
A spokesman for the carrier confirmed to AFP comments by Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar al-Baker published on Sunday in the Gulf Times daily, in which he said he was "pretty confident" of launching the IPO in early 2012.
Qatar Airways had said before that it would offer shares to the public after achieving profitability in three consecutive years.
"We have always said we will go in for an IPO once we register three consecutive years of profit," Baker said on Saturday.
"In the last financial year, we realised a net profit; this year also we are heading towards a net profit. We are hopeful of deriving a net profit in the next financial year as well," he added.
He said the carrier has made a handsome net profit last year, but refrained from revealing how much.
"I can tell you we have made good net profit in the last financial year, though we will disclose the exact figure only when we get listed," he said.
Qatar Airways has a fleet of 92 aircraft, with orders for 80 Airbus A350s, 60 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 29 Boeing 777s, eight Airbus A321s and five Airbus A380-800 superjumbos. These orders include options.
Baker said the new Doha International Airport, set to open in 2012, will have an initial capacity to handle 28 million passengers yearly.

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Rutger_F a écrit:Merci Jeannot

Bonne nouvelle qui pourrait influencer le mouvement contre les fast growing airlines de la région ?

Announcement follows order of narrow body aircraft
Qatar Airways selects IAE V2500 engines to power new fleet of 24 Airbus A320 family aircraft

Tuesday, June 16, 2009


[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir cette image]Qatar Airways confirmed an order with International Aero Engines to power 24 new Airbus A320 family of aircraft. The airline has selected IAE’s V2500 SelectOne engines for twenty A320s and four A321s with the business valued at more than US$700 million at list prices.

The announcement by the Doha-based carrier was made during a packed press conference on the opening day of the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget today as the airline confirmed an order for 24 of the A320 family of aircraft.

Qatar Airways currently operates 19 A320 Family aircraft, and is the Middle East’s largest customer of this particular fleet. The new aircraft, configured with a two-class cabin, will be deployed to enhance and expand services on regional, European and southwest Asian services. Deliveries of the new aircraft are due to begin in November 2009, running through to the end of 2012.

Addressing media, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “We have a reputation for selecting only the best for our airline and we know from experience that the V2500 is the superior technology engine for the A320 family of aircraft.

“It is the most reliable option in the many harsh weather conditions we operate in. The V2500 SelectOne upgrade also offers us the lowest fuel burn and a corresponding reduction in emissions, which is vital as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility programme and commitment to a greener environment.”

IAE President and Chief Executive Officer Jon Beatty added: “We’re delighted that Qatar Airways has decided to place this order, which is firmly based on its experience with the V2500 engine. When we began the original process of designing the engine modifications that would eventually become the V2500 SelectOne, we started with what was important to our customers. Fuel burn has been, and continues to be, one of the largest operating expenses for an airline and the benefits we offer through this new build standard continue to drive our success.”

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 68 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to 82 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Far East and North America.

• pour pouvoir bénéficier d'une famille d'avions de toute nouvelle génération,
  
• dotée d'un nouvelle technologie d'airframe,
  
• avions capables d'être à la hauteur des nouveaux moteurs (y compris les "open rotors", et de les 'héberger',
  
• et d'en tirer la quintessence, sous tous les angles, ........
  

• mettre la pression sur IAE, afin que le Consortium progresse vers un genre de V2500 "SelectTwo",
  
• de la mettre également sur Airbus, en disant à cet avionneur que, pour tout ce qui concerne P&W, c'est au sein d'IAE que doit se trouver la solution, et non pas chez P&W 'en solo ' (MTU ne compte pas, sauf pour le poids des cocus) avec son GTF !
  

Tout ça ne colle pas, pour le GTF / PurePower ! Opération de diversion ?

DOHA, Qatar —

Qatar Airways' CEO voiced confidence in Boeing Co. over its delayed 787 program Saturday, but warned the fast-growing carrier may scrap orders for the planes if development problems drag on.

Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker noted, however, that there are no current plans to amend Qatar Airways' multibillion-dollar orders for 30 787s and options for 30 more.

"If there is another slip, yes we will have no alternative" but to consider canceling orders, he said. "But as of today, I still have confidence in Boeing."

Al-Baker has been one of the most vocal critics of 787 delays. He wouldn't say how long the carrier would hold out before canceling its orders if delays continued.

He made the comments Saturday as he opened a new arrivals terminal at Doha International Airport to accommodate the airline's rapid growth. The facility, part of a $1 billion revamp of the airport, is meant to provide additional space until a new airport opens in 2012.

Test flights on the 787, also known as the Dreamliner, were halted last month because of an electrical fire, adding another wrinkle to a development program that is running well behind schedule.

Boeing is aiming to deliver the first 787 to Japan's All Nippon Airways early next year - nearly three years later than originally hoped. That target is widely expected to be pushed back further.

The 787 is made mostly of composite materials designed to make it lighter and more fuel-efficient than other planes of the same size.

Qatar ordered its 30 confirmed 787s in 2007 along with 27 Boeing 777s. The combined value of that package was $13.5 billion at list prices, though bulk buyers often negotiate steep discounts.

In Doha, al-Baker said Qatar Airways is on track to turn a profit for the second consecutive year. He said the airline is generating "a very hefty profit" but didn't provide specifics.

That has prompted the carrier to begin laying the groundwork for an initial public offering of its shares, he said. Al-Baker said the IPO could be launched as early as 2012 and involve a sale of as much as a 50 percent stake in the company.

Qatar Airways is growing rapidly, adding 18 new planes and 10 new destinations to its network so far this year. The carrier has ordered five of Airbus' A380s, with the first expected for delivery in 2013.

Al-Baker said Qatar Airways' board is mulling further orders for the double-decker planes but didn't provide details. "You will hear it when we announce" it, he said.

Additional orders for the mammoth plane would be a welcome vote of confidence for Airbus.

A blowout of an A380 engine aboard a Qantas flight on Nov. 4 raised questions about the safety of the planes, and in particular engines made by Rolls-Royce, one of two jet manufacturers for the aircraft. Engine Alliance, a joint venture between GE Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney, also makes engines for the plane.

The Qantas incident has not stopped Qatar Airways from considering Rolls-Royce engines for its A380s, al-Baker said.

"We have absolute confidence in both engine manufacturers - GE and Rolls-Royce," al-Baker said. "I'm sure Rolls-Royce has already identified the problem and are fixing it, and we will still consider Rolls-Royce engines for our airplanes."

Qatar Airways set for 'large' Airbus A380 order

Qatar Airways will order a “large number” of Airbus A380 airplanes, the carrier’s chief executive officer said on Tuesday.
According to newswire Bloomberg, Akbar Al Baker told reporters in Budapest that the orders are “imminent”.
Al Baker said that Qatar Airways plans to be one of the early recipients of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. He also said that the company plans to sell shares in the airline by 2012.
“We are going to get the 787s and we are going to be one of the early recipients,” Al Baker said. “We are accepting that there is a slight delay.”
In December last year, Al Baker warned that he may have no alternative but to cancel orders for the troubled Boeing 787 Dreamliner if there are further delays in its delivery.
The fast-growing airline has ordered 30 787s, plus 30 more as an option, although technical and labour problems with the ultra-modern part-composite aircraft has left the jet nearly three years behind its original schedule.
Test flights for the Dreamliner were halted in November due to an onboard fire, and Boeing is yet to announce its new delivery schedule. It has now been over a year since the aircraft’s first test flight.
Qatar Airways is one of the model’s biggest customers. UAE national carrier Etihad Airways also has 35 firm orders for the 787.
Last month, Al Baker had also said that Qatar Airways will undergo an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2012.
“We were profitable in the last financial year and we are well on the way for profitability in the current financial year, and we have already started a mechanism to prepare ourselves for an IPO in the third financial year,”he told reporters in Doha.
He later clarified that the airline was looking to list in 2012 but declined to say what percentage of the firm would be offered

Jeannot a écrit:Grosse commande de 380s imminente !!!

Qatar Airways set for 'large' Airbus A380 order

Qatar Airways will order a “large number” of Airbus A380 airplanes, the carrier’s chief executive officer said on Tuesday.
According to newswire Bloomberg, Akbar Al Baker told reporters in Budapest that the orders are “imminent”.

On aimerai bien savoir ce que signifie l'expression "large number", dans le contexte de Qatar ! J'oserais dire , "un chiffre situé entre 5 & 12" !

Al Baker said that Qatar Airways plans to be one of the early recipients of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

He also said that the company plans to sell shares in the airline by 2012.

“We are going to get the 787s and we are going to be one of the early recipients,” Al Baker said. “We are accepting that there is a slight delay.”

In December last year, Al Baker warned that he may have no alternative but to cancel orders for the troubled Boeing 787 Dreamliner if there are further delays in its delivery.

The fast-growing airline has ordered 30 787s, plus 30 more as an option, although technical and labour problems with the ultra-modern part-composite aircraft has left the jet nearly three years behind its original schedule.
Test flights for the Dreamliner were halted in November due to an onboard fire, and Boeing is yet to announce its new delivery schedule. It has now been over a year since the aircraft’s first test flight.

Qatar Airways is one of the model’s biggest customers. UAE national carrier Etihad Airways also has 35 firm orders for the 787.
Last month, Al Baker had also said that Qatar Airways will undergo an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2012.
“We were profitable in the last financial year and we are well on the way for profitability in the current financial year, and we have already started a mechanism to prepare ourselves for an IPO in the third financial year,”he told reporters in Doha.
He later clarified that the airline was looking to list in 2012 but declined to say what percentage of the firm would be offered.

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Lufthansa, Qatar Airways et le groupe IAG sont intéressés par la privatisation de la compagnie publique portugaise TAP, qui doit être lancée par le gouvernement dans les prochains mois, selon la presse portugaise lundi.

Did Qatar Airways clear an unspoken hurdle for ordering CSeries?

Consider this article tagged under "speculative", but news from Qatar Airways that the carrier plans to start service to Montreal in June raised an eyebrow.

June will also feature the biennial Paris Air Show, where airline CEO Akbar Al Baker says of a possible order for the Bombardier CSeries: "I will leave that question to be answered in Le Bourget," reports Aviation Week.

These seemingly unrelated Qatar Airways stories may be more connected than first meets the eye. Gulf carrier access to Canadian airports has long been a contentious topic to say the least, so emergence of a new 777 route linking Montreal to Doha is highly notable.

While it was never a publicly discussed condition for ordering the CSeries, Qatar Airways foray into to this difficult to access market may be a key step toward a final agreement on the new Bombardier 110-149 seater. A Qatar CSeries deal has been a long-protracted on again, off again process.

In other CSeries news, Arabian Aerospace Magazine reports that Qatar Airways may not be the first Gulf airline to order the new Canadian jet. The story says that Yemen-based all-Bombardier operator Felix Airways could beat Qatar as the Middle East's first CSeries customer.

Jeannot a écrit:Selon la rumeur Qatar Airways aurait franchi le dernier obstacle qui l'empêchait de commander du CSeries.

Did Qatar Airways clear an unspoken hurdle for ordering CSeries?

Consider this article tagged under "speculative", but news from Qatar Airways that the carrier plans to start service to Montreal in June raised an eyebrow.

June will also feature the biennial Paris Air Show, where airline CEO Akbar Al Baker says of a possible order for the Bombardier CSeries: "I will leave that question to be answered in Le Bourget," reports Aviation Week.

These seemingly unrelated Qatar Airways stories may be more connected than first meets the eye. Gulf carrier access to Canadian airports has long been a contentious topic to say the least, so emergence of a new 777 route linking Montreal to Doha is highly notable.

While it was never a publicly discussed condition for ordering the CSeries, Qatar Airways foray into to this difficult to access market may be a key step toward a final agreement on the new Bombardier 110-149 seater. A Qatar CSeries deal has been a long-protracted on again, off again process.

In other CSeries news, Arabian Aerospace Magazine reports that Qatar Airways may not be the first Gulf airline to order the new Canadian jet. The story says that Yemen-based all-Bombardier operator Felix Airways could beat Qatar as the Middle East's first CSeries customer.

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• John LEAHY et Airbus auront raté leur objectif no. 1, ... soit celui de tuer dans l'oeuf le "Business Case" du CSeries de Bombardier ;
  
• l'opération NEO, ou, du moins, la partie concernée par le GTF de P&W, n'aura pas forcément la 'carrière' envisagée par LEAHY & Co.;
  

et tout ça me laisse sceptique devant l'article d'OSTROWER ! :|

• conclure pour EMIRATES une commande ferme pour un nombre substantiel d'avions, soit l'A350-XWB-1000 (20 exemplaires), pour (par media interposés ! ) ensuite, peu de temps après,.......
  
• plus ou moins demander d'être libéré de ce contrat, en le faisant glisser vers un tout autre appareil qu'on pourrait appeler "Superbi-", et, ........ (tout en ayant le toupet de dire que c'est Airbus qui a besoin d'aide)
  
• en faisant que l'annulation (unilatérale, la dernière fois .... avant mise-au point 'à temps') porte sur un appareil Airbus (A340-600 HGW) à moteurs Rolls-Royce (Trent 556 / 560, très fiables) et résulte en l'acquisition d'appareils Boeing à moteurs GE (GE90-115B, peu fiables), et......
  
• recommencer tout le cirque de "Entertainer Tim", .... cirque qui est devenu la commande massive d'EMIRATES pour l'A350-XWB, .. dont la variante -1000, comme tout le monde le sait, fut quasiment conçu à l'époque pour Emirates, selon les souhaits de "Entertainer Tim", .... tout en offrant l'avantage stratégique à Airbus, de rendre obsolescent, dès la seule annonce de ladite variante, .....le B777-300ER, ..... et de propulser celui-ci dans un état de mort commeerciale lente, .......
  
• ce qui fut fait, surtout avec la commande de QATAR, y compris 20 x A350-XWB-1000, et les autres commandes, y inclus celle d'EMIRATES, qui annonça la composante ferme de 20 x A350-XWB-1000, aussi !
  

• "Entertainer Tim" ne pourra rééditer impunément sa bêtise précédente ; EMIRATES non plus ; si DUBAI cherche à 'faire le forcing', dans le sens de la question ci-dessus, c'est Abu Dhabi qui se manifestera ;
  
• la planète a bien compris l'intox qui émane de leur quartier ;
  
• Boeing ferait mieux de réaliser le programme B787, au lieu d'émettre des rumeurs stupides, et de raconter des bobards aux scribouillards des media, et aux "bloggers" qu'ils instrumentalisent ;
  
• 
  
• le monde de l'Aéronautique n'a pas besoin d'âneries pareilles ;
  
• si le marché avait des doutes sur l'A350-XWB-1000, .... il écouterait QATAR (client de lancement), ou Steve UDVAR HAZY (qui sait de quoi il parle en matière de "design" & de définition d'airframe et de moteurs), et ....... non pas "The Entertainer", qui a toujours envie des appareils de niche, que les "airframers" ne veulent pas construire ! :lol:
  

Qatar Airways on March 27 will increase Doha service to Kuala Lumpur (to twice-daily),
Dar Es Salaam (to twice-daily),
Paris Charles de Gaulle (to 16-times-weekly),
Geneva (to daily,
May 2), Copenhagen (to daily),
and Muscat (to 24-times-weekly)
and will upgrade service to Bengaluru and Barcelona with A330s beginning March 1 and March 27, respectively.

Vicant2 a écrit:Exemple concret d'utilisations intensifiées des A-330 chez Qatar

Source ATW' Skypath :

Qatar Airways on March 27 will increase Doha service to Kuala Lumpur (to twice-daily),
Dar Es Salaam (to twice-daily),
Paris Charles de Gaulle (to 16-times-weekly),
Geneva (to daily,
May 2), Copenhagen (to daily),
and Muscat (to 24-times-weekly)
and will upgrade service to Bengaluru and Barcelona with A330s beginning March 1 and March 27, respectively.

Oui ! Merci, Vicant2 ! Parlant, .... éloquent, ... tout ça !

pascal83 a écrit:
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Publié le 28 juin 2010 à 08h00 par François Duclos dans [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] -

La compagnie aérienne Vietnam Airlines, qui est intéressée par l’achat de quatre Airbus A380, devrait attendre la finalisation de la prochaine version de l’avion géant, l’A380-800, avant de passer commande.

La compagnie aérienne Vietnam Airlines, qui est intéressée par l’achat de quatre Airbus A380, devrait attendre la finalisation de la prochaine version de l’avion géant, l’A380-800, avant de passer commande.

Airbus doit en effet commencer dans quelques mois la production de la version « augmentée » de son A380, dont le premier exemplaire devrait être livré à British Airways en 2013.

Cette nouvelle version, A380-800, verra son poids au décollage augmenter de quatre tonnes à 573 tonnes et son rayon d’action gagner 190 kilomètres à 15 360. Surtout, ces changements lui permettront d’emporter une tonne et demie de cargaison supplémentaire. Une évolution qui aurait été réclamée au constructeur européen par des clients qui considéraient le Boeing 747-8I.

L’évolution de l’A380 passe par un renforcement des structures du fuselage et par des ailes ayant une plus grande souplesse pour améliorer leur aérodynamisme. Ces changements ne pourront être faits a posteriori, les appareils déjà livrés ou en construction ne pourront donc pas en bénéficier. En revanche les réacteurs restent les Rolls Royce Trent 900, qui ne nécessiteront pas d’augmentation de la poussée.

Vietnam Airlines a annoncé qu’elle attendra d’avoir tous les détails techniques de l’A380-800 avant de décider de passer commande ferme des quatre appareils. Airbus aurait déjà promis à la compagnie vietnamienne une livraison de l’A380-800 en 2014 ou 2015, à condition bien sûr qu’elle ne tarde pas trop à signer le contrat. Outre British Airways, Singapore Airlines a également commandé dix exemplaires de la nouvelle version.

The first flight of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]'s CSeries CS100 has slipped by three months, say supplier sources, while the company has shifted one of its senior leaders to manage customer and supplier relationships, paying specific attention in Asia.

The internal first flight target for the 100 to 125-seat CS100 had been planned for late June 2012. Sources say it has now shifted three months to September or October of next year.
Without confirming a slip in the CS100's first flight, as it has not provided specific guidance beyond a 2012 target, Bombardier says the 63-month development programme allows flexibility to shift milestones as needed and maintains that its final certification and delivery remains "on time" for 2013.

Additionally, the company's senior leadership has shifted vice president of commercial aircraft, Ben Boehm, to the post of vice president of international business.
According to the listing on Boehm's professional Linkedin profile, Boehm has been in the new role since December 2010. Boehm's position will focus particular attention on Asia, according to the Linkedin profile.
Boehm's particular attention to Asia suggests the company will look to expand its reach in the continent as well as stand up a key CSeries supplier in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Corporation (SAC), which is responsible for the fabrication of the CSeries' centre fuselage.

Bombardier says it is "not uncommon for executives to take a renewed challenge. Ben is very much still a part of the CRJ, Q400 and CSeries programmes."
The company has paid particular attention to pursuing opportunities in China and most recently on 3 March the Canadian airframer signed an $8 billion memorandum of understanding with China's ICBC Financial Leasing Co. to support financing of Bombardier's CSeries, Q400 and CRJ products into the Chinese market.

Boehm was replaced in November by Eric Martell, who now serves as senior vice president commercial aircraft, having previously served as vice president and general manager for the company's Challenger and Global business aircraft. Martell said in a recent interview with Innovation Analysis Group that Bombardier had stationed 100 of its staff with SAC, and an additional 200 SAC staff are now stationed in Montreal.
Bombardier says the project management skills for the CSeries product development will be different from the first half of the programme and Martell's "background lent itself nicely to managing our product programs including the second half of CSeries development as we transition from a more engineering bias to a production bias".

The company emphasises that Robert Dewar, CSeries programme vice president, remains at the helm of the programme. Bombardier holds orders for 90 CSeries aircraft.

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] has hinted strongly that it would opt for an all-new [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] narrowbody over the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] A320neo, as it edges towards a deal to acquire the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] CSeries.

The carrier - which operates 32 [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]-family aircraft - says the airline plans to operate two types of narrowbodies, but chief executive Akbar Al Baker is sceptical about the Airbus offering.

"In my frank opinion, Airbus is making the same mistake with the Neo as with the old [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]," he says, referring to the previous A350 - a re-engined version of the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] - as "an old lady dressed up in new clothes".
Airbus abandoned its original A350 proposals in 2006 after pressure from potential customers, including Qatar, for a more radical design.
Qatar rewarded the airframer with commitments for 80 of the new A350 XWB, which Al Baker describes as a "very fine airplane, thanks in part to Qatar Airways".

The A320neo, by contrast, is a "strategy by [Airbus chief salesman] John Leahy to kill the CSeries", says Al Baker. Although the Neo would allow Qatar to operate longer routes than the CSeries, he says, the Bombardier narrowbody is "a killer of an airplane" on flights up to 3.5h, with "far superior" seat mile costs to the Neo.

S'il a des moteurs ! Mais, dans le principe, ... Qatar remet en question la tactique de John LEAHY, qui n'a pas forcément vu les effets pervers !

Qatar Airways is closing on a deal to take CSeries after coming close to resolving long-running issues with engine supplier [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] over maintenance cost guarantees.
Al Baker says talks with Bombardier are "very advanced" adding, with regard to the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G geared turbofan engine, that there have been "slight issues which are nearly resolved".

He says: "We are progressing with putting the next phase of the business case to the [Qatar Airways] board and expect a decision in the very near future."

On longer sectors, customers are resistent to flying on single-aisle aircraft, something Al Baker says the airline has learned from operating A320s to Berlin and Vienna. "It is a difficult sell to passengers," he says.
As well as the A350 XWB, Qatar Airways has ordered or taken options on 60 Boeing 787s, the first of which is due to arrive in the first quarter of next year. Its first A350XWBs are earmarked for end of 2013 delivery.