Airbus delivered a record 718 aircraft in 2017 and secured 1,109 total net orders, during a challenging year when up to 60 new-build aircraft were left on the tarmac because of engine delays. The 718 deliveries included 558 A320 family aircraft (including 181 A320neos), 67 A330s, 78 A350s and 15 A380s, marking Airbus’ 15th consecutive year of production growth. At year-end, the manufacturer’s backlog stood at 7,265 aircraft, valued at US$1.059t at list prices, with a book-to-bill ratio of 1.5. In 2018, the airframer is aiming to hit 800 deliveries. Boeing delivered 763 aircraft in 2017, exceeding the 718 delivered by Airbus, but Boeing secured fewer net orders at 912 aircraft versus Airbus’ total of 1,109. <br/>
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The days may be numbered for the world’s largest passenger aircraft. Airbus said Monday that it would have to end production of the plane if its only major customer, Emirates, did not order more. The admission by John Leahy, the company’s COO, was the latest indication that Airbus miscalculated more than 2 decades ago when it bet that clogged runways would create demand for larger planes that could deliver more people with fewer landing slots. Instead, airlines bypassed the major hubs and ordered midsize planes that could fly directly between regional airports. “The A380 was better suited to 1995, before air routes fragmented,” said one consultant. Airbus said Monday that it has not given up on the plane, but acknowledged that it is endangered. <br/>
As some travelers continue to deal with the aftermath of the JFK Airport meltdown last weekend, US senator Charles Schumer is asking the DoT to design a plan coordinating communication among the international airlines at the airport to prevent such dysfunction in the future. A communication breakdown between the Port Authority, which oversees all three New York City-area airports, and the foreign airlines flying into JFK exacerbated the existing problems at the airport after the first snowstorm of the year walloped the tri-state, Schumer says. "Make no mistake, there is plenty of blame to go around when it comes to what happened at JFK, but some of that blame squarely lands on a lack of communication between foreign airlines that flooded JFK with flights and the entities that manage the airport," Schumer said. <br/>
A tourist boom has caused traffic at Iceland’s Keflavik airport to grow more than 5-fold over the past 9 years, with a predicted 10m passengers this year. Now Iceland’s main entry point to the world is preparing to accommodate twice as many. The airport expects to invest about US$1b over the next 7 to 8 years to make room for new airlines and routes as it touts itself as a hub between Europe and the US. Domestic carriers Icelandair and Wow Air have opened routes to mid-size cities in North America, while Delta, United, American Airlines and Air Canada have or will soon start flying out of Keflavik. The airport will pick up the pace of investments after spending about $372m since 2011, and will need the help of foreign investors as it takes its biggest steps, according ISAVIA, the state-owned company that operates all airports in Iceland. <br/>
The United Arab Emirates Monday claimed that Qatari fighter jets intercepted 2 of its commercial airliners in international airspace on the way to Bahrain, allegations denied by Qatar. The claims could further escalate tensions between Qatar and the 4 Arab nations that have been boycotting it for months, among them the UAE, home to the world's busiest international airport. They also could affect long-haul airline travel, as the region's carriers are a crucial link between the East and West. Saif al-Suwaidi, the DG of the GCAA, said the intercepts happened at 10:30 am and 11 am. He said Bahraini radar, as well as crew and passengers on board, saw the military aircraft, "which constituted a clear and explicit threat to the lives of innocent civilians." The aircraft involved were not identified. <br/>
Airline passengers are facing a new crime threat as criminals target travel bags on city-bound buses. This sees the trend shift from the in-flight theft of luggage stowed away in overhead compartments to target travellers after they have left the plane. Police feared a wave of publicity over mid-air robberies - which saw more than HK$13m worth of passenger property and cash pilfered from overhead luggage compartments on inbound flights between 2015 and 2016 - may have forced organised gangs to switch their attention to airport buses. The criminals banked on the fact that passengers who landed safely with their property intact would drop their guard. The new twist in airport-related crime had seen "many, many" passengers fall victim over recent weeks, according to police sources. <br/>