Aviation News in Brief 13 Jan 2020

Magnetic MRO receives CAAC certification: Magnetic MRO announced it has received Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) certification, proving the company has qualifications and meet local regulatory requirements for the maintenance, repair and overhaul organisations.  Obtaining this certification allows the company to expand its capabilities and provide maintenance service on Chinese registered aircraft and its engines. “We are delighted to have received this certificate. CAAC certificate possession allows us to expand our service offerings to Chinese airlines and allows us to perform maintenance in the region. It acknowledges the qualifications we have and will have a positive influence strengthening our positions in the region,” shared Francis Liu, board member at Magnetic MRO. The CAAC certification complements the European Aviation Safety Agency as well as Federal Aviation Authority certificates held by Magnetic MRO. Boeing donates to Australian fire relief: The Boeing Company announced an A$1 million donation from the Boeing Charitable Trust for recovery and relief efforts associated with the ongoing Australian bushfires. The contributions will be directed through the Australian Red Cross and designated for Australian bushfires. Disaster relief efforts in the region align with Boeing’s ongoing commitment to the communities where the company has a presence. Australia is the company’s largest footprint outside the US. Travelport becomes GDS provider of Air India’s domestic flight content in India: Travelport  confirmed that the company is now the sole global distribution system (GDS) provider of Air India’s domestic flight content in India. The contract, which was awarded to Travelport following a competitive bidding process, came into effect in November 2018 and was fully implemented as of 1 January 2020. It means, Travelport is now the only GDS provider through which travel agents in India can receive both Air India’s domestic and international flight content. The company also continues to provide all domestic and international flight content from the carrier to its wide network of travel agents across the world. VietJet expands international network: VietJet has inaugurated two international services connecting Can Tho, the hub city of Mekong Delta region with Taipei and Seoul, the capital cities of Taiwan and South Korea. The Can Tho – Taipei route operates four return flights per week, starting from 10 January. The Can Tho – Seoul (Incheon) route will operate three return flights per week starting from 16 January. Airbus deliveries rise in 2019: Airbus delivered 863 commercial aircraft to 99 customers in 2019, outpacing its previous output record set in 2018 by 8 percent. In the 17th yearly production increase in a row, Airbus progressed on the transition to all NEO variants and by year-end Airbus had delivered 173 widebody aircraft, its highest number in a single year. Airbus had a strong year of sales with a total of 1,131 new orders. Net orders reached 768, compared to 747 in 2018, taking Airbus’ overall historical cumulative net orders over the 20,000 mark. The A220 achieved 63 net orders and the A320 family had 654 net orders. Cancellations of 363 reflect specific airline situations in 2019 as well as the decision to end A380 production. At the turn of the year, Airbus’ backlog stood at 7,482 aircraft. In 2019, deliveries comprised: A220 family: 48 v 20 in 2018 (since the A220 became part of the Airbus Family: 1 July 2018) A320 family: 642 v 626 in 2018. Of these, 551 were NEO family v 386 in 2018 A330 family: 53 v 49 in 2018. Of these, 41 were NEO family v 3 in 2018 A350 family: 112 v 93 in 2018. Of these, 25 were A350-1000 v 14 in 2018 A380: 8 v 12 in 2018