The vicious cycle of ageing aircraft fleets and rising costs hits the US airlines,

analyses Le Figaro Economie. American Airlines had to cancel more than 3,000 flights last week to check the electrical systems of its mid-haul aircraft. Several of its domestic rivals also face ageing aircraft. This is a consequence of the 2001 crisis, explains the French daily. The US airlines, which were often close to bankruptcy, could not afford renewing their fleets. Today, they are very old indeed: 13.7 years in average for United, 14 yrs for Delta, 15 yrs for American, compared with 9.1 yrs for Air France, 5.7 yrs for Emirates and 6.9 yrs for Singapore Airlines. This leads to surging maintenance and oil costs. Le Figaro Economie deems the virtuous circle that allows airlines to generate financing capacities to buy new and fuel-efficient aircraft now seems out of reach for good. Le Figaro Economie

Japan Airlines have both ordered the Boeing 787 aircraft,

Airbus sets its sights on Japan, in an effort to challenge Boeing’s stronghold. AFX notes that Boeing boasts extensive partnership and supply agreements with Japanese companies, which have guaranteed the plane maker consistently won the bulk of orders from Nippon airlines. Airbus now hopes to take advantage of a state visit to Japan by French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, accompanied by Louis Gallois, to give a boost to its activities in this lucrative market. “The Prime Minister has been extremely efficient and aggressive on this issue”, said Louis Gallois, alluding to talks between Mr Fillon and his Japanese counterpart Yasuo Fukuda. As All Nippon Airways and the delays to the programme could be an advantage for Airbus in Japan, says a London-based analyst. “The problem is that Boeing owns Japan”,

Already postponed several times, the merger project between US carriers Delta Air Lines and Northwest

could be announced as early as today, reports Les Echos. The two airlines’ boards were due to meet yesterday night in order to approve the move, which would give birth to the world’s new leading airline. Air France-KLM was also strongly supporting the scheme as it intended to grab a $ 750M stake in the newly-merged entity. But this latest scenario appears far from certain: Les Echos says the investment could be far lower or even dropped. Les Echos, Le Figaro Economie

EADS asserted that the A400M military transport aircraft’s

development was on track, in compliance with the revised schedule. The group said “the first A400M, dubbed MSN001, has just left station 40, where all its software systems have been connected and where the electrical system has been successfully tested”. EADS added that engine installation was now underway and the “dedicated flying test bed” is being prepared to start the flight tests “shortly”. Reuters recalls that the A400M programme is already six to twelve months behind the initial schedule. Reuters (14/04)

The EADS executive committee met yesterday to discuss the sale

of Airbus’s sites in Germany, two weeks after the talks with OHB failed. A spokesman for the plane maker declared that “a decision regarding the sites will be announced within the next two to three weeks”, detailing that “the group’s withdrawal will probably be undertaken in one or two stages. Maybe we will need to regroup the sites into a subsidiary first and then look for partners”. Les Echos says a final decision should be taken during EADS’s next board meeting, which union sources say is scheduled for April 21. La Croix comments that the group now faces its earlier commitment to “equity” in its plant disposal plans in France and Germany. The French trade unions are urging the group not to forget this promise, as the Meaulte and Saint-Nazaire sites are about to be sold off to Latecoere.