India’s largest airline, which faced delivery delays for its first A320neo jets over issues with Pratt & Whitney engines, said it would consider a competing CFM International power plant for a later order. IndiGo, Airbus Group SE’s biggest customer for the fuel-efficient A320neo, has chosen Pratt for the first 150 of the aircraft, Aditya Ghosh, the carrier’s president, said on a conference call Friday. The airline, which took delivery of its fourth A320neo on Friday, said it has seen fuel savings of 13%. The carrier has ordered 430 of the single-aisle jetliner. "We’re eagerly looking forward to learning from the experience of other airlines that will have the CFM” engine, Ghosh said. "It will be a good opportunity for us to compare the actual operating performance of the two engines before we decide on the engine choice for the remaining 280 aircraft that we have on order." The A320neo program has been disrupted as Pratt & Whitney grapples with an issue that under certain conditions requires a delay to startup so the engines can reach the right operating temperature. IndiGo, which was supposed to receive the A320neo in December, added the first plane only in March and failed to meet its target of nine for the fiscal year that ended that month.<br/>
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Virgin Australia’s full-year profit may be less than half that expected by analysts amid capacity cuts and weak travel demand. The Australian carrier said Monday that underlying pretax profit in the year ending June 2016 will be between A$30m and A$60m. Virgin faces a “challenging operating environment,” CEO John Borghetti said. He cited “weak consumer demand” and uncertainty surrounding Australia’s upcoming July election and the country’s resources downturn. The lower-than-expected earnings follow upheaval among the airline’s three biggest shareholders. Air New Zealand, the biggest investor, said in March it may sell its shares, fueling speculation that Singapore Airlines may increase its own stake to prevent an unwelcome foreign airline muscling in.<br/>
Emirates airline will boost its connectivity to mainland China with direct flights to Yinchuan and Zhengzhou tomorrow. Currently, the Dubai-based carrier flies to three Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia, lies to the West of the Yellow River and to the East of Helan Mountain. With a large Muslim population, Yinchuan serves as a gateway connecting China to Arab countries. Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, is a major transportation interchange for central China. Its strategic location has enabled Zhengzhou to become one of the largest economic hubs in China.<br/>