Jan 04 2013

Pinnacle to operate an all CRJ-900 NextGen fleet

Pinnacle Airlines LogoPinnacle Airlines has come to an agreement with Delta Air Lines in which the airline will retire its fleet of CRJ-200s and operate only the CRJ-900 as its fleet aircraft.

As part of this agreement, Pinnacle will be operating 40 dual-class Bombardier CRJ-900s wit Delta Air Lines placed an order for last month.

Pinnacle currently operates 41 CRJ-900s and would begin taking delivery of the new CRJs by fall 2013 leading to a fleet of 81 aircraft. As well, the airline would remove all of its 140 CRJ-200s from its fleet as part of Delta’s plan to shed all but 125 of the type from its regional network.

The plan is still subject to court approval, the agreements among Pinnacle, Delta, the Air Line Pilots Association and the creditors’ committee in Pinnacle’s Chapter 11 cases.

Dec 22 2012

FAA mandates GE repair fault in some CF34 Engines

ge_logoThe FAA has ordered General Electric to repair 300 CF34-8C and CF34-8E turbofan engines because of bad valves which have caused two engine fires. The engines power Bombardier CRJ700s and 900s as well as Embraer 170/175 aircraft. This will effect 15 percent of the fleet, encompassing engines built between 2001 and 2006.

The issue to be repaired is caused by a fault in the operability bleed valve, which takes air out of the engine’s compressor during start-up. As the valve fittings age they occasionally leak, and twice have caused an engine fire. One incident occurred on takeoff, but the engine was shut down and the fire-extinguishing system activated before the aircraft landed safely. The other fire occurred after landing when a fire alert sounded, the engine was shut down, and the aircraft taxied to the gate.

Dec 20 2012

Fuji Dream Airlines orders two more Embraer 175s

Fuji Dream AirlinesEmbraer announced on December 20th, 2012 that Fuji Dream Airlines had placed an order for two Embraer 175s. The carrier has ordered a total of eight aircraft.

The aircraft will be configured with 84 seats in a single-class layout.

The airline began operations in 2009 with an order for two Embraer 170s and added an Embraer 175 to its order by the end of 2009. In 2010, it added another Embraer 170 and two Embraer 175s.

Dec 20 2012

airBaltic firms order for up to 20 CSeries

CS300airBalticBombardier announced on December 20, 2912, that airBaltic had firmed up an agreement for 10 CS300 airliners with options on a further 10 aircraft. The purchase converts to firm orders of a Letter of Intent announced at the Farnborough Air Show on July 10, 2012. The LOI also included the purchase rights to 10 additional CS300 aircraft.

As of September 30, 2012, Bombardier had orders and commitments for 352 CSeries aircraft that included firm orders for 138 CSeries aircraft.