Author: Joseph Alba

On June 6th scores of cities, towns and villages in France and in Holland celebrate their liberation, and the victory of allied troops during the Normandy invasion; and special tributes were paid to the U.S. soldiers who comprised the bulk of allied forces. The Normandy landings, codenamed Operation Neptune, were the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, in Operation Overlord, during World War II. The landings commenced on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 (D-Day), beginning at 6:30 am British Double Summer Time (GMT+2). In planning, D-Day was the term used for the day of actual landing, which was dependent…

Although companies that provide aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul are facing a major drop in demand, some are still working and even introducing new products or services, such as the aircraft disinfection service. While accurately predicting what the MRO market will look like due to the COVID-19 pandemic even by the end of this year is tricky, several scenarios hint at how it may play out. After falling precipitously, airline travel may recover slowly rather than with a quick V shaped spike. On top of that, not all aircraft and engines will return, and those that due, may not be…

Memorial Day has come and gone, and rather than honor our veterans with war stories, why not learn about how something as harsh and brutal as war may have residual benefits. Something like art. This is a story about an aviation artist, Robert Taylor. His output of aviation art is mind-bending,- He has created more than 500 paintings and is still active, Hhis attention to detail is evident in every painting. Each painting of an aircraft or air-crew has meticulous detail, even making sure he had the correct fight uniform for the particular aircraft he was painting. His research takes…

The clock is ticking for Hertz, the car rental giant. It has only days to negotiate a deal with creditors in a desperate attempt to avoid bankruptcy amid the coronavirus pandemic. How that plays out has serious implications for the new and used car markets, and even for government policy, according to analysts and industry insiders. Hertz started the year with positive momentum, but two months later the pandemic “created a major business disruption as global travel demand dropped to almost zero and the U.S. used car market effectively shut down,” said Kathryn V. Marinello, chief executive of Hertz, on…

American Airlines jets are parked at gates on March 25, 2020, at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. The airline is running a 29-mile flight between Vail and Aspen, Colorado, the shortest route it’s flown since the 1990s. Politicians have found another unique way to defy logic. They have crafted a legal requirement with their CARES aid package that creates 15-minute flights. As reported in the Dallas Morning News on May 18th, American Airlines has added a 29-mile flight to its schedule between airports that serve the ski communities of Vail and Aspen, Colorado — a route created to fulfill…

It’s difficult finding good news in our media these days; but here is something; Boeing Corporation has re-opened the Renton plant in the Puget Sound area, with the prospect of opening more in the region. It’s not a full-operational opening, more of a test to ensure that the health processes, protective equipment and security that is in place is sufficient to re-open fully. The company has said that they may not see a fully engaged production line until June. In his recent interview with CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, the CEO of Boeing, David Calhoun, said there were plans to…

As David Calhoun has made clear since the CARES Act was passed, Boeing was not in favor of handing over part ownership of the company to the U.S. government. So, it was no surprise when Boeing formally decided not to seek government financial assistance under the CARES Act “at this time” after completing a bond offering to shore up its liquidity during the Covid-19 crisis. The company confirmed their decision on Thursday, April 30th. Boeing has raised $25 billion in a massive debt sale, allowing it to avoid tapping a $17 billion coronavirus bailout fund meant to shore up businesses…

The dissolution of the joint agreement that Boeing filed against Embraer is being challenged by Embraer. There are two variables here that deserve discussion; one is the claim of wrongful termination by Embraer and the second is the flirtation of Embraer with the Chinese manufacturing consortium, COMAC. This may have been the news that was the final straw for Boeing. This is only rumor so far but reading of this possibility in several aviation industry journals and blogs gives it some credence. Embraer in its counter-claim says that Boeing cannot afford to pay the 4.2 billion-dollar purchase price with its…

One of the best-known warbirds in the world, thanks to the movie Top Gun, the F-14 Tomcat will be enshrined at the Cradle of Aviation museum. This particular aircraft is the last F-14 to fly and is a real prize for the museum which prides itself as the locus of aircraft history in Long Island. Long Island is known as the cradle of aviation for a multitude of reasons not the least of which is the airplanes and spacecraft designed and built by Grumman in the 20th century. Some of the most important moments in American aviation history had…

The recent monetary windfall provided to the airports by the Federal Government may have some strings attached. But the strings come as a request, not a demand. The FAA is asking airport management to consider providing rent relief for their tenants. The CODIV 9 virus has as much of a dilatory financial effect on the vendors as has the airports. The photos above demonstrate how vacant airports translates to lack of revenue. The Federal Aviation Administration on April 6th issued updated guidance that urges airports to “consider the “changed circumstances created by the public health emergency, among other factors, when…