Air taxi cert, airline for sale, charter sales down - Dec 20 Aero News
FAA proposes airworthiness criteria for Archer Aviation air taxi
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration provided airworthiness criteria for Archer Aviation ($ACHR) to meet in order to certify its M001 air taxi for use on Monday. This comes on the heels a similar announcement in November for Joby Aviation's ($JOBY) Model JAS4-1 eVTOL.
Archer says its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft completed its first full flight on Nov. 29. Backed by United Airlines and Stellantis NV, Archer said it intends to deliver around 250 battery-electric air taxis in 2025, before scaling production up further.
Certifying this type of aircraft has proven somewhat challenging for the FAA, which says it needs a modified regulatory approach because current regulations do not anticipate needing to train pilots to fly aircraft that take off like helicopters, fly like airplanes, and then transition back to helicopter-like operations for landing. These aircraft will also be much quieter, making it more difficult for birds to become aware of their presence, leading the FAA to propose more comprehensive bird strike requirements.
Ryanair to restore Irish pilot salaries to pre-COVID levels in four-year deal
Ireland-based low-cost carrier Ryanair signed a deal with Fórsa, the union that represents the airline's Irish pilots, which will restore salaries to pre-COVID numbers this month, and will also include increases between now and March 2027.
Ryanair pilots agreed to a 20% pay cut in the summer of 2020 in a move that would reportedly save 3,000 job cuts, including 300 pilot jobs, but salaries had yet to be restored despite a near complete return to pre-COVID travel figures.
Kenyan Government to sell stake in Kenya Airways
Kenya Airways, Africa's third largest airline, may soon have new ownership as the government looks to sell its entire 48.9% stake in the airline. Profitability has evaded the airline for the last 10 years, and it has been unable to pay back loans that the Kenyan government is now responsible for. Kenya's president, William Ruto, reportedly met with Delta Air Lines ($DAL) December 15.
SpaceX to begin launching second-gen Starlink satellites
SpaceX may begin launching second-gen Starlink satellites within weeks in a bid to add capacity to its congested broadband network. Regulatory filings with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission Dec 16 anticipate launches before the end of this month.
Private aviation receding to pre-pandemic levels
WINGX reports that North American charter activity is down 23% year-over-year, and down 5% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels. Private and charter aviation experienced a boom since 2020, leading timelines for new jets to be pushed to 2025, and private operators like Berkshire Hathaway's ($BRK.A) NetJets to suspend new charter sales in order just to service existing customers adequately. The current drop in demand does not appear to be catastrophic, but may serve as a market correction induced by high interest rates, inflation, and normalizing airline travel.