Aviation
Aircraft demand spurs record gain in U.S. durable goods orders
WASHINGTON DC-Orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods posted their biggest gain on record in July on strong overseas demand for aircraft, and the underlying trend also remained firm, pointing to brisk economic growth.
Durable goods orders, items ranging from toasters to aircraft that are meant to last three years or more, jumped 22.6 percent last month after an upwardly revised 2.7 percent increase in June, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday.
Transportation orders rose a record 74.2 percent as bookings for civilian aircraft more than tripled. Boeing (BA.N) had said earlier it received a record 324 aircraft orders in July. At the same time, orders for autos logged the biggest gain in five years.
Outside of transportation, demand was decidedly softer. Still, upward revisions to the data for June as well as a pick-up in business investment plans, shipments and order backlogs suggested a strong underpinning for growth.
“This report reinforces the message that manufacturing growth is picking up and is likely to support stronger GDP growth in the second half of the year,” said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York.U.S. stocks traded higher, with the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI reaching an all-time intraday high, with Boeing shares up 0.4 percent. Prices for U.S. Treasury debt rose, while the dollar was flat against a basket of currencies. Helping bolster investors’ spirits, the Conference Board said consumer confidence hit its highest level in nearly seven years in August. A gauge of households’ perceptions of the labor market touched its best level since July 2008.
A separate report, however, showed house price growth continued to slow in June. The S&P/Case Shiller’s national house price index rose 6.2 percent from a year ago, the smallest gain since November 2012 and down from a 7 percent rise in May.
The housing sector cooled abruptly last year as mortgage rates moved higher, with a lack of supply also crimping sales. Economists think slower price appreciation will help keep the housing recovery on the rails.
STRONG AUTO ORDERS
Many of the Boeing orders, including 150 planes by the Dubai-based airline Emirates EMIRA.UL, were for a new version of its top-selling twin-aisle 777 jet, which is still under development and sells for about $377 million at list price.
The aircraft is due for delivery in 2020. It will take at least 10 years for the resulting increase in production from the orders, which also included the Dreamliner jet, to filter through to U.S. gross domestic product.
The report on durable goods orders showed demand for non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, slipped 0.5 percent in July.
But the decline followed an upwardly revised 5.4 percent advance in June and bolstered perceptions that business spending is rising. These core capital goods orders were previously reported to have increased 3.3 percent in June.
Shipments of these goods, which are used to calculate equipment spending in the government’s GDP measurement, increased 1.5 percent last month, helping to prompt Morgan Stanley to raise its third-quarter growth estimate by five-tenths of a percentage point to a 3.5 percent annual rate. Barclays lifted its estimate by 0.3 percentage points to 2.7 percent.
Unfilled orders for core capital goods increased 1.1 percent last month after rising 1.7 percent in June, showing a steady pipeline of work that will keep the nation’s factories humming.
“There is plenty of gas in the tank for continued growth in business spending,” said Tim Quinlan, an economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In a bold step to strengthen Akwa Ibom’s position in Nigeria’s aviation industry, Governor Umo Eno announced the addition of two new Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft to the fleet of the state-owned airline, Ibom Air, on Friday.
The two aircraft, registered as 5N-CED and 5N-CEE, mark a milestone in the state’s commitment to strategic investment, with the governor stressing that the acquisitions were fully funded by state resources without loans from financial institutions.
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At a welcoming ceremony attended by local officials and residents, Governor Eno emphasized his administration’s mission to drive revenue-generating ventures for Akwa Ibom rather than relying on debt.
He called the move a step toward breaking the cycle of government investments that only serve to pay off loans, vowing that the state’s funds would go towards projects that bring returns to the people.
The governor challenged Ibom Air to turn a profit by 2025, stating that the airline’s management should ensure routes in and out of Uyo remain dependable to prioritize the needs of Akwa Ibom travelers.
“As long as I remain governor, we will continue to use state funds for the benefit of all, not for private gain,” he said, noting that his administration aims to ensure that public investments deliver real value to the state.
Governor Eno also provided updates on several ambitious state projects, including an 18-story commercial complex underway in Lagos and an upcoming 4-star hotel in Abuja, both designed to generate revenue for Akwa Ibom.
Plans for an international market in Ikot Ekpene and the phased opening of a new terminal at the Victor Attah International Airport were also announced, with the airport terminal set for partial operation by December and full activation in early 2025.
Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, commended Eno’s financial management, highlighting that the administration has avoided seeking loans over the past 18 months despite launching significant development projects.
Ibom Air’s Chairman, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob, expressed appreciation for the state’s investment in the airline, which has seen its fleet grow to nine aircraft.
Jacob credited the governor’s support with enabling Ibom Air to boost flight capacity, meeting demand on popular routes such as Uyo-Lagos-Abuja.
Captain Mfon Udom, CEO of Ibom Air, stated that the expanded fleet will improve efficiency and allow the airline to scale up its operations in time for the Christmas travel season.
Udom also noted that the airline anticipates the delivery of nine additional Airbus planes, which will further strengthen Ibom Air’s market presence.
Traditional leaders, including HRM Edidem Ita Edet Okokon III of Okobo Local Government Area, lauded the governor’s leadership, pledging continued support from the traditional institutions.
Anie Essienette, Group Manager for Marketing and Communications at Ibom Air, noted that demand for the airline’s services has surged nationwide, with the new CRJ900 aircraft helping meet this increasing need while the airline awaits further fleet expansion.
Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo is of the view that there’s no cause for alarm over the approval of a private airstrip for a religious organisation, which attracted the attention of the House of Representatives.
He took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Friday morning to shed light on the subject, and explained that it could be a great source of revenue for Federal Government.
Keyamo asserted that the issue was raised by an honourable member at plenary, out of ignorance, but was “unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into.”
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Keyamo expressed confidence that by the time his Ministry was done enlightening them, “they will be satisfied”.
He added that “the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.”
Keyamo wrote, “I think this is not correct. The House of Reps. as a body did not call on the Minister to revoke the license of any private airstrip.
“I think what happened is that someone moved a motion in that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it.
“Whilst the intention of the Hon. Member who moved it is very patriotic, it was based on a complete lack of knowledge of the aviation sector.
“By the time we explain to them how private air strips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be satisfied.
“The responsibility of the owners of private air strips is just to build the runway and terminal building. But after they build the control tower in particular, it is completely handed over to the Federal Government through NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) which is in complete control of the entire airspace in Nigeria. An MOU is usually signed with NAMA in this regard before the airstrip is approved for operations.
“It is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in ALL AIRPORTS and AIRSTRIPS IN NIGERIA. And the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.
“No object flies into Nigeria without the prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a clear flight plan, eg, where it is taking off from and where it intends to land.
“And I have recently directed that all aircraft coming into the country MUST first land at our international airports where they would be properly processed and checked before they make their local flights into whatever airport or airstrip they intend to go. So, it is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY impossible for any private airstrip owner to just jump on an aircraft and fly in and out of the country through that facility. The Federal Government does not permit that. You will not be cleared for take off or landing without prior request and authorisation.
“I thank the Member for his patriotism, but I wish he contacted us first to explain to him before rushing to move such a motion.
“I attach herewith for public consumption the NAMA Act that gives exclusive control of the Nigerian airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA.”
The NNPC Ltd has clarified that beyond the three bodies found in the ill-fated helicopter operated by East Winds Aviation that crashed on Thursday in Port Harcourt, no other bodies have been recovered.
This was contained in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd, Olufemi Soneye.
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“The Company further notes that intensified search and rescue operations for the remaining bodies along with relevant authorities is still ongoing.
“Once again, our hearts and prayers are with family members of this unfortunate incident,” the statement added.
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