TRENDING NEWS

CANADA JETLINES SELECTS VANCOUVER AIRPORT AS ITS HOME BASE

Ultra-low-cost airline Canada Jetlines has announced that Vancouver International Airport (YVR) will be its primary base when it launches operations later this year.The passenger carrier has secured YVR’s guarantee that all slots required to operate the initial network using the first two Airb...

CEBU PACIFIC TO RECEIVE 12 NEW AIRCRAFT THIS YEAR

The Philippines' airline, Cebu Pacific, is set to receive 12 brand new aircraft to support its expansion plans for 2019. The aircraft deliveries include six Airbus A321neo; five A320neo; and an ATR 72-600. The A321neo boasts of 236 seats, with 56 seats or 31% more capacity than the A320. This wi...

AVIATION COMPANY SUED UNDER BIPA FOR BIOMETRIC COLLECTION PROCEDURE VIOLATIONS

A class action lawsuit has been filed in Cook County Circuit Court by a former employee of Swissport USA accusing the aviation company of violating her rights and those of other workers when requiring workers to scan their fingeprints when using a biometric punch clock, the Cook County Record report...

KENYA E190S COLLIDE DURING MAINTENANCE MISHAP

Two Kenya Airways Embraer 190s have been badly damaged during a ground collision following a mishap during maintenance.The airline states that the accident occurred at night on 8 February, during a routine engine maintenance check at a Nairobi airport hangar.One of the aircraft – for reasons y...

MEA TO TAKE ANOTHER FOUR A321NEOS

Lebanon’s Middle East Airlines has emerged as the customer for another four Airbus A321neos, taking its total order for the type to 15. The airline had originally ordered 10 A320neo-family jets – split equally between the A320neo and A321neo – but subsequently converted all of them...

JET AIRWAYS GROUNDS FOUR AIRCRAFT OVER LEASE PAYMENT DEFAULTS

Jet Airways has revealed that four of its aircraft have been grounded after it failed to pay their lease rentals. In a follow-up to an earlier query from the BSE, the carrier notes that three aircraft previously grounded for "engine normalisation" have returned to service, but four others ...

FLYBE WARNS OF WINDING-UP THREAT IF CONNECT OFFER REJECTED

Struggling UK regional operator Flybe Group has indicated it will be forced to begin winding-up proceedings if shareholders do not approve an offer from Connect Airways. While acknowledging the the offer price was "disappointingly low", it says it had to recommend the revised offer on 15 J...

PAL NOT LOOKING FOR MORE STRATEGIC INVESTORS AFTER ANA DEAL

Philippine Airlines will not seek out any more strategic investors to take up stakes in the carrier after it sealed a deal for All Nippon Airways parent company ANA Holdings to take a 9.5% stake.Speaking to FlightGlobal in Tokyo, PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista says that it ...

AIR FRANCE ECHOES ASSURANCE FOR GHANA’S AVIATION INDUSTRY

French Airline Company, Air France has reiterated its confidence in Ghana’s aviation industry with the introduction of new upgraded Airbus A330 in the country to provide additional comfort to passengers. The move forms part of a 140 million-euro investment aims to completely redesigning 15 air...

MUMBAI AIRPORT RUNWAY CLOSURE LEADS TO 230 FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS

Around 230 flights were cancelled on 7 February at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport due to the closure of both primary and secondary runways.A source familiar with the matter was quoted by The Economic Times as saying that the two runways were closed for maintenance a...

AFTER MONTHS OF WRANGLING, AIRLINES REACH AGREEMENT OVER MCI SINGLE TERMINAL COSTS

The airlines that serve Kansas City International Airport have come to agreement on the price of a new single terminal at KCI, putting an end to a months of delay, Councilwoman Jolie Justus announced on Twitter Wednesday afternoon. Justus, a candidate for mayor and chair of the Airport Committee, sa...

NEW ZEALAND’S WELLINGTON AIRPORT DEPLOYS FULLY AUTOMATED AEROBRIDGE

Wellington Airport in New Zealand has launched a fully automated aerobridge docking system to accelerate passenger boarding and disembarking from the aircraft. The aerobridge has been deployed at one of the airport’s domestic gates, making the airport the first aerodrome in the world to use th...

QATAR AIRWAYS REACHES OPEN SKIES DEAL WITH THE EU

While the fiery dispute between U.S. legacy carriers and three major Gulf airlines continues to rage, the focus of Qatar Airways has now shifted to Europe. Reuters reported early on February 5, 2019, that the State of Qatar and the European Union (EU) are getting closer to finalizing a comprehensive...

AZUL TO ACQUIRE MORE EMBRAER AND AIRBUS JETS IN 2019

Brazilian carrier Azul has sped the pace of its fleet renewal by upping the number of Embraer E195-E2s and Airbus A320neo-family aircraft it plans to acquire in 2019.A revised fleet plan released by Azul on 6 February also calls for more retirements in 2019 of first-generation E195s, one less A330 d...

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA APPOINTS NEW CHIEF EXEC

Virgin Australia has appointed Paul Scurrah as chief executive, with current CEO John Borghetti stepping down in March.Scurrah arrives at the airline with a history of travel and transport management in Australia. He has held CEO positions at DP World Australia and Queensland Rail, and executive gen...

WINTER STORMS, U.S. SHUTDOWN BOOST DEMAND FOR PRIVATE JETS

Harsh winter weather and the partial U.S. government shutdown boosted demand for private jets in January, according to three business aviation companies that recently reported an uptick last month in deep-pocketed travelers seeking alternatives to commercial flying. Business jets fly through regiona...

ADB SAFEGATE COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF ULTRA AIRPORT SYSTEMS

ADB Safegate has concluded the takeover of airport IT systems and data analytics solutions provider Ultra Airport Systems (AS) to create a total airport management capability. The agreement was originally signed in November last year for a purchased price of around $22m.The acquired entity has been ...

‘SHOWDOWN’ AT AIRPORT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING MAY BE FOLLOWED BY A LAWSUIT

Midwest Corporate Aviation owner Barbara Autry says she doesn’t want to file a lawsuit against the city, director of airports Victor White or Clemens Aviation, but on Monday her lawyers put everyone at the Wichita Airport Advisory Board meeting on notice that she’s prepared to do it.Whew...

AVIATION WORKERS SUSPEND WEDNESDAY STRIKE TO ALLOW TALKS

BY The Kenya Aviation Workers Union has suspended a strike that was set to start Wednesday to allow talks on a takeover of management of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Kenya Airways. KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema told journalists that the Transport Ministry had assured them that the...

AIRBUS CREATES THE FIRST ELECTRIC AIRPLANE RACE WITH AIR RACE E

Airbus has announced a global partnership with Air Race E, the world’s first electric airplane race set to launch its inaugural series in 2020. Airbus is the Official Founding Partner of Air Race E. The competition aims to drive the development and adoption of cleaner, faster, and more technol...

ANALYSIS: RYANAIR MATURES WITH IAG-STYLE STRUCTURE

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Ryanair's decision to emulate the IAG group structure is perhaps an admission by the great disruptor of European air travel that it can learn from its rival when it comes to effectively managing an increasingly complex business. A myriad of challen...

MIA LAUNCHES FACIAL RECOGNITION FOR LUFTHANSA PASSENGERS

Miami International Airport (MIA) has collaborated with air transport IT provider SITA, Lufthansa and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to introduce biometric exit technology. The new technology is known as SITA Smart Path and will allow passengers departing from MIA to Munich on Lufthansa flig...

GERMANIA HALTS OPERATIONS AND FILES FOR INSOLVENCY

The German civil aviation authority Luftfahrt-Bundesamt today revoked the operating license of Germania Fluggesellschaft after the company filed for insolvency and ceased flight operations in the night between February 4 and February 5. The Berlin-based leisure carrier blamed “unforeseeable ev...

THE UN’S PLAN TO ‘OFFSET’ GROWTH IN AVIATION EMISSIONS AFTER 2020

Airlines around the world have recently begun to monitor their CO2 emissions as part of a UN climate deal.Last month marked the first step of the UN’s “Corsia” scheme, which aims to ensure any rise in international aviation emissions above 2020 levels are offset elsewhere.The schem...

AERINX’S AR SOLUTION PROMISES TO MAKE AIRCRAFT SKIN INSPECTION FASTER AND MORE PRECISE

Hungarian firm AerinX is developing an augmented reality (AR) solution for the external inspection and maintenance of aircraft and other aerial vehicles. The company has recently started a strategic partnership with Aeroplex of Central Europe Ltd., one of the largest MROs in the CEE region, to imple...

AER LINGUS PLANS HARTFORD A321LR LAUNCH

Aer Lingus plans to introduce the Airbus A321LR on flights to Hartford in July, marking the debut of the long-range narrowbody to the North Atlantic market.The carrier will begin flying the A321LR between Dublin and Hartford from 1 July, and then between Dublin and Montreal from 8 August, FlightGlob...

GLASGOW AIRPORT INSTALLS NEW RADAR TO PAVE WAY FOR NEW WIND FARM

Glasgow Airport has collaborated with air traffic services provider NATS and Banks Renewables to install a new radar system that can minimise the impact of the Kype Muir Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire.Acting as a statutory consultee, the airport must evaluate the wind farm project proposals up to 50...

TURKMENISTAN AIRLINES SUSPENDED FROM EU OPERATIONS

European civil aviation regulators have banned Turkmenistan Airlines from operating services to the country while they verify that the carrier meets safety requirements.The European Aviation Safety Agency has “suspended” flights by the carrier pending confirmation that it meets internati...

AMERICAN TO ADD SEATS IN PHOENIX WITH A321NEO

American Airlines plans to debut its new Airbus A321neo at its Phoenix Sky Harbor hub in April after taking delivery of its first aircraft today. The Oneworld Alliance carrier will operate the aircraft between Phoenix and Orlando from 2 April to 2 May, and then between Phoenix and Anchorage from 6 J...

FRAPORT TO MANAGE RETAIL CONCESSIONS AT NASHVILLE AIRPORT

Fraport USA has taken over the management of the retail stores, restaurants and services at Nashville International Airport (BNA).BNA recorded the sixth consecutive year of traffic growth last year with nearly 16 million passengers travelling through the airport.The contract was awarded by the Metro...

SHARJAH AIRPORT PASSENGER TRAFFIC EXCEEDED 12 MILLION LAST YEAR

Sharjah International Airport has reported a 6% increase in passenger numbers to 12.04 million for the year 2018 compared to 11.36 million in 2017.Data released by the airport shows that the number of scheduled and unscheduled flights also increased by 4.7% to 81,260 over the year.The highest number...

GARUDA INDONESIA CONSIDERING SWITCH TO 737 MAX 10

Garuda Indonesia is considering a switch of part of its order for Boeing 737 Max 8s to the larger Max 10 variant. A source close to the details says that the airline is studying the specifications of the Max 10 and how it could fit into its network, but has not formally amended its order. It follows...

AZUL ADDS TWO AVIANCA BRAZIL A320NEOS

Azul has taken two Airbus A320neo aircraft previously operated by bankrupt Avianca Brazil.The aircraft (MSNs 7918 and 8086) are leased from BOC Aviation and were added to Azul's fleet in January, Flight Fleets Analyzer shows.Avianca Brazil filed for the Brazilian equivalent of bankruptcy in Dece...

MALINDO GETS SLOT BLOCKED FROM ADDING MORE KL-SINGAPORE FLIGHTS

Malindo Air's chief executive believes that Changi Airport Group is protecting Singaporean carriers by blocking Malaysian carriers seeking additional slots to operate more Kuala Lumpur-Singapore flights. Speaking to FlightGlobal, Chandran Rama Muthy says that that CAG is willing to grant slots o...

QANTAS TAKES 19.9% STAKE IN ALLIANCE AIRLINES, EYES CONTROL

Qantas has signalled that it intends to take a majority stake Alliance Airlines, having acquired a 19.9% stake in the Brisbane-headquartered operator.The Oneworld carrier states that the stake was acquired at a total cost of A$60 million ($43.6 million), at an average price of A$2.40 per share.Qanta...

AVIATION: GOVT TO ALLOCATE RS 3,900 CR TO SERVICE AIR INDIA DEBT

The government will provide a total of Rs 3,900 crore for servicing Air India's loans transferred to a special purpose vehicle, according to Budget documents. The Air India Asset Holding Ltd, a special purpose vehicle, has been set up as part of financial restructuring of the debt-laden national...

RICHMOND AIRPORT REACHED NEW PASSENGER MILESTONE IN 2018

Richmond International Airport in Virginia, US, has set a new record with annual passenger traffic surpassing four million in 2018.Data released by the Capital Region Airport Commission shows that a total of 4,077,763 passengers flew in and out of the airport, an increase of 11.5% over the previous ...

CEBU PACIFIC TO DOUBLE WIDEBODY FLEET; ISSUES RFI

Cebu Pacific is looking to order up to 16 new widebody aircraft, and has requested for Airbus and Boeing to provide more information about its A330neo and 787.The low-cost airline’s chief executive adviser Mike Szucs tells FlightGlobal that the RFI was sent out in late 2018, and that discussio...

CEBU PACIFIC TO ADD 12 AIRCRAFT IN 2019

Cebu Pacific will add 12 new aircraft to its fleet this year, as it enters the next stage of expansion with the delivery of the re-engined Airbus A320 family aircraft. In a press event in Manila to mark the entry of its first A321neo, the carrier says it will take delivery of six A321neos, five A320...

AIRBUS PERSONAL DATA ACCESSED DURING CYBER ATTACK

Airbus has suffered a cyber attack on its commercial aircraft business information systems, with some employee details accessed. In a statement, the Toulouse-based airframer said it had detected a cyber incident, but there had been no impact on Airbus’s commercial operations. It gave no detail...

JET AIRWAYS DENIES REPORTS OF GROUNDED AIRCRAFT

India’s Jet Airways has denied local media reports that the struggling airline was forced to ground aircraft because of non-payment of leases.Media reports said that three aircraft had been grounded on Tuesday due to missed payments, taking the total to six, but in a stock exchange statement J...

GLOBAL WARMING: NEW SUPERSONIC AIRPLANES WOULD BE TERRIBLE FOR ENVIRONMENT, STUDY WARNS

At least three companies are hoping to bring supersonic airplanes back into the skies, but environmental groups worry their return could mean a big increase in greenhouse gasses from aviation. The issue is expected to come to the fore next week as international regulators meet in Canada beginning Mo...

MORE THAN 1,000 FLIGHTS CANCELLED OR DELAYED AS SNOW STORM THREATENS MUCH OF US

More than a 1,000 flights have been canceled or delayed in anticipation of snow and icy conditions Tuesday, as a winter storm threatens the Midwest, the South and the East Coast of the United States. There are 977 flight cancellations and 143 delays as of 4:55 a.m., according to FlightAware.com.A da...

EBRD ACQUIRES STAKE IN QUEEN ALIA AIRPORT IN JORDAN

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has completed the purchase of an indirect equity stake in Airport International Group (AIG), which is a concessionaire that manages Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) in Jordan.In a statement, EBRD said: “The bank is committing u...

SCOTLAND’S ECONOMY GETS £1.44BN BOOST FROM GLASGOW AIRPORT

Glasgow Airport adds over £1.44bn per annum to the Scottish economy and supports over 30,000 jobs, according to a new report published by economists York Aviation.The report states that the airport will contribute £2.54bn (GVA) to the economy, support more than 43,000 jobs and handle nea...

ANA TO TAKE 9.5% STAKE IN PAL HOLDINGS

All Nippon Airways parent company ANA Holdingswill take a 9.5% take in Philippine Airlines’ parent company PAL Holdings.The stake will be purchased from a unit of the Lucio Tan Group, which is the largest shareholder in the company, but is far smaller than the 40% that PAL has signalled could ...

ANA TO ORDER UP TO 48 BOEING AND AIRBUS NARROWBODIES

The board of ANA Holdings has approved plans to order 30 Boeing 737 Max 8s for All Nippon Airways and 18 Airbus A320neos for budget unit Peach.ANA will place firm orders for 20 737 Max 8s and take 10 options, valuing the deal at up to $3.51 billion. All 737 Max aircraft are powered by CFM Internatio...

ACI SEEKS INDUSTRY COLLABORATION TO PROTECT AIRPORTS FROM DRONES

Airports Council International (ACI) has urged aviation industry, governments, and law enforcement agencies to take collective measures to protect aircraft and airports from drones.The trade association of airports worldwide has published a list of recommendations to help airports address the risks ...

QANTAS PASSENGERS REQUEST EXERCISE AREAS, VR FOR LONGEST FLIGHTS

Qantas customers have requested exercise bikes and virtual reality entertainment among other suggestions for the airline’s ultra long-haul flights between Australia and Europe. Qantas currently flies non-stop between Perth in Western Australia and London, a 17 hour journey, but is looking ahea...

TIGERAIR TAIWAN IPO TARGETED AT EXPANSION, SECURING FINANCING

China Airlines believes that a listing for Tigerair Taiwan will pave the road for the low-cost carrier’s expansion, as well as ease the securing of financing. The Taiwanese flag carrier tells Flightglobal that plans for Tigerair Taiwan's listing are in its “early stages”, and t...

AIRBUS, THAI FIRM TO COLLABORATE ON MRO AND PILOT TRAINING

Airbus and Thailand's Civil Aviation Training Centre (CATC) have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in developing and implementing aircraft maintenance training and pilot training courses. The aircraft manufacturer says it has started work with CATC on basic aircraft maintenance...

QANTAS EYES PASSENGER NEEDS FOR ULTRA-LONG-HAUL

Qantas has detailed requests from passengers as part of its research into its plan to launch ultra-long-haul flights to Europe and the United States in 2022, dubbed 'Project Sunrise'.The research, done in conjunction with the Sydney University's Charles Perkins Centre, found that health ...

DELTA POSTPONES AIRBUS A220 LAUNCH

Delta Air Lines has postponed the introduction of its new Airbus A220s, due to certification delays caused by the US federal government shutdown. The A220s first commercial flights were due this month from New York’s LaGuardia airport, but have now been postponed. The affected services will us...

EGYPT OPENS SPHINX INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FOR REGULAR DOMESTIC FLIGHTS

The Government of Egypt has opened Sphinx International Airport (SPX) for regular domestic flights as part of the trial operation of the airport.SPX aims to spur growth in the country’s tourism sector in the country due to its close proximity to the Giza Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, an...

MADRID AIRPORT IS LOOKING FOR THE OWNER OF AN ABANDONED GHOST PLANE

A plane has been sitting on the tarmac at a Madrid airport for years − and it's not clear who actually owns it. The director of Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez Airport, Elena Mayoral Corcuera, sent an official notice this month stating the mysterious plane is in an "obvious state of aban...

US EAST COAST AIRPORTS RECOVERING AFTER DELAYS

New York-area airports were reporting normal delays on Friday evening after ATC staff shortages and an FAA ground stop halted arrivals for a time at LaGuardia airport earlier in the day. Hundreds of flights were delayed at New York airports as air traffic controllers called in sick because of the US...

AIRASIA RETALIATES AGAINST MAHB LAWSUIT WITH MYR400M CLAIM

AirAsia and AirAsia X have filed motions to have an MYR36.4 million ($8.8 million) lawsuit brought against them by Malaysia Airports (MAHB) over unpaid passenger service fees struck out, and made a separate MYR400 million claim against the airport operator. In December 2018, MAHB issue of a writ of ...

MANCHESTER AIRPORT TO OPEN PRIVATE TERMINAL FOR COMMERCIAL AIRLINES

Manchester Airport in the UK has unveiled plans to open a private terminal to provide travelers with the experience of a private jet when flying on commercial airlines. The new PremiAir terminal will be open to all passengers irrespective of airline or destination, with prices starting at £50....

JETBLUE SEES DELAYS TO A321NEOS, PUSHES OUT A220 DELIVERIES

JetBlue Airways expects delays to the delivery of up to seven Airbus A321neos this year and says it has postponed deliveries of its first A220-300s to allow more time for the airline to choose suppliers of the aircraft's interiors. The New York-based airline now expects to take six A321neos &quo...

CATHAY PACIFIC JOINS EASYJET’S CONNECTIONS SERVICE

Cathay Pacific is the latest airline to join easyJet’s international connections service.Worldwide by easyJet” will allow passengers to connect from the airline’s European flights to Cathay Pacific services to Hong Kong at London’s Gatwick Airport. The service will go live &l...

U.S. AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB SPONSORS GE AVIATION FOR THE TEAMING-ENABLED ARCHITECTURES FOR MANNED-UNMANNED SYSTEMS

Project Task Assignment for the Teaming-Enabled Architectures for Manned-Unmanned Systems (TEAMS) prototype program was recently awarded to GE Aviation. The project is under the authority of the Base Vertical Lift Consortium Project Agreement and is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Research Lab (AFRL...

INTERGLOBE AVIATION THIRD-QUARTER PROFIT PLUNGES AS CRUDE PRICES WEIGH

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, owner of India`s biggest airline by market share IndiGo, said its third-quarter profit slumped 75 percent, dragged down by higher crude prices and intense competition.Its net profit was 1.91 billion rupees ($26.79 million) in the three months ended Dec. 31, compared with 7.6...

ALASKA DELAYS PAINE FIELD LAUNCH DUE TO GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Alaska Airlines is the first carrier to officially postpone a new service due to the on-going partial US federal government shutdown now in its 32nd day. The Seattle-based carrier will delay the launch of service to Paine Field in Everett, Washington, to 4 March from 11 February as Federal Aviation ...

DANE COUNTY AIRPORT RESUMES OPERATIONS AFTER POWER OUTAGE

Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) in Madison, Wisconsin, US, has resumed operations after a complete power outage forced a shutdown on 21 January. The airport said that extreme cold weather spurred the additional energy consumption at the airport, resulting in an outage. Almost a dozen flights were...

BRITISH AIRWAYS IS GIVING ONE OF ITS BOEING 747S A 1960S-ERA PAINT SCHEME

British Airways will paint one of its Boeing 747-400s in a retro livery that dates to the 1960s – part of an effort to commemorate its 100th birthday. The company also revealed plans to paint other planes in vintage schemes, but – for now – would say only that “more details o...

FLYBE SHAREHOLDERS UP IN ARMS OVER CONNECT AIRWAYS DEAL

London-based private equity firm and key Flybe Group shareholder Hosking Partners could thwart a planned takeover of the UK regional carrier by the Connect Airways consortium, Sky News has reported. On January 11, Flybe Group said Connect Airways, whose shareholders include Virgin Atlantic, Stobart ...

NEW YORK PSC APPROVES SOLAR POWER PROJECTS AT JOHN F KENNEDY AIRPORT

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has secured permission from the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) to set up solar power projects at John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport.The PSC’s permission means the Port Authority will now join hands with New York Power Author...

DUBLIN AIRPORT HANDLED 31.5 MILLION PASSENGERS IN 2018

Dublin Airport handled a record 31.5 million passengers during 2018, an increase of 6% from 2017. An additional 1.9 million passengers used the airport in 2018. Roughly 29.4 million people began and ended their journey at the airport and an additional 2.1 million passengers used the airport as a hub...

FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR RDU'S NEW RUNWAY FOR CHINA FLIGHTS MAY FALL SHORT, AIRPORT PRESIDENT SAYS

International Airport plans to replace its aging main runway in the coming years with a new parallel one that will be long enough to launch flights to the far side of the Earth.RDU President and CEO Michael Landguth say he has expected that half or more of the runway's estimated $350 million cos...

SOME TRAINS CANCELED, AIRLINES WAIVE CHANGE FEES AS STORM APPROACHES

Travelers this weekend will want to check the status of their trains and planes as a major winter snowstorm moves into the Northeast.Most airlines serving Albany International Airport are waiving change fees for travel over the weekend. Carriers have posted details at their websites on what cities a...

AVIATION: BUDGET AIRLINE SCOOT TO EXPAND IN 3 INDIAN CITIES

Singapore Airlines group's budget arm Scoot Thursday announced expansion of its network in India With the addition of three cities, Coimbatore, Trivandrum and Visakhapatnam, starting May. The new routes are due to be transferred over from sister airline, SilkAir, and Scoot will be the only airli...

NORWEGIAN TO CLOSE MULTIPLE B737 BASES IN 2019

Norwegian has announced the closure of multiple bases across its network as part of its Focus2019 plan that aims to generate savings of at least NOK2 billion kroner (USD229 million) in 2019. An internal airline communique to staff seen by ch-aviation said that as part of Focus2019, it had conducted ...

BALPA PILOT UNION ACCUSES RYANAIR OF BULLYING STAFF

The union said Ryanair has closed a base in the Netherlands, and one in Germany and downsized a second in retaliation after pilots took strike action in the two countries.BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said the airline is now threatening the closure of two bases in the Canary Islands if ca...

AVIANCA BRAZIL TO KEEP GECAS A320S FOR NOW

Brazil’s civil aviation regulator ANAC had moved to cancel the registration of the A320s after GECAS petitioned for their return for non-payment of lease fees.ANAC said the aircraft would be withdrawn from the Aeronautical Registry within five days, and the airline required to return them to G...

GATWICK WELCOMED RECORD 46.1 MILLION PASSENGERS IN 2018

Gatwick Airport in the UK handled a record 46.1 million passengers in 2018, an increase of 1.1% compared to the same period last year. The growth was boosted by the use of long-haul flights by passengers who opted to spend the festive season further afield. The volume of cargo handled by the airport...

BOEING RELATIONSHIP KEY TO KC-390 COSTS, MARKETING

Embraer’s defense joint venture with Boeing will use the American company’s leverage over suppliers to cut parts and components costs on the KC-390 tactical transport. The Brazilian company said at an investor conference on 16 January that it will also lean on Boeing’s internationa...

UK AIRPORTS EMBRACE ANTI-DRONE TECH

The increasing availability of drones has finally prompted two major international airports, the U.K.’s Heathrow and Gatwick, to procure anti-drone systems. While these moves may signal a boon for counter-drone technology, they also underscore the danger of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) use in...

MISAWA-BASED F-16 MAKES PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT JAPANESE AIRPORT

An Air Force F-16 fighter jet made a precautionary landing at a Japanese regional airport Monday, according to a Tohoku Defense Bureau spokesman. The incident involving a fighter from Misawa Air Base happened at about 1 p.m., said the spokesman, who spoke on a standard condition of anonymity. The ca...

U.S. CALLING BACK 1,700 AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTORS

The Federal Aviation Administration is calling back 1,700 aviation safety inspectors as a partial government shutdown drags on into its fourth week. An FAA spokesman said on Tuesday it is recalling inspectors and engineers to perform duties to ensure continuous operational safety of the entire natio...

US GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AFFECTS AIRPORT OPERATIONS

Several airports in the US have been forced to closed terminals due to a shortage of security workers following the partial shutdown of the US Federal Government. Airports affected include Miami International Airport in Florida and George Bush International Airport in Houston, Texas. Screeners emplo...

INDIA TO HAVE UP TO 200 AIRPORTS BY 2040

India is expected to have 190-200 airports by 2040 as passenger traffic is expected to grow by six times to 1.1 billion. The civil aviation ministry released its ‘Vision 2040’ document, which highlights that the top 31 cities of the country will have two airports each. Construction of ne...

NEW UK AEROSPACE PROJECT SET TO CHALLENGE CERTIFICATION NORMS

A new project led by the University of Southampton will explore the use of composites in aerostructures and seek to highlight the limitations in current certification procedures. Backed by an EPSRC grant of £6.9m, the research will focus on more structurally efficient and lightweight airframes...

UNITED TO TAKE DELIVERY OF ADDITIONAL 777-300ERS FROM THIS YEAR

United Airlines will receive the first widebody aircraft from a new Boeing order this year, the airline told analysts on an earnings call earlier today. The Chicago-based carrier disclosed it recently ordered 28 Boeing aircraft in its 15 January earnings release, including four 777-300ERs and 24 737...

AIRBUS BREAKS GROUND ON A220 ALABAMA PLANT

US production of the Airbus A220 aircraft series came to a step closer with Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony at the company’s Mobile, Alabama assembly plant. Construction of the USD$300 million dollar facility is due for completion later this year, with aircraft production scheduled t...

LONDON HEATHROW AIRPORT WELCOMED 80 MILLION PASSENGERS IN 2018

London Heathrow Airport handled a record 80.1 million passengers in 2018, an increase of 2.7% compared to the same period last year. The growth was boosted by the use of larger and fuller aircraft. The latest achievement comes as Heathrow launched fresh consultation on a third runway expansion plan....

PASSENGERS FACE LONG LINES, CLOSED CHECKPOINTS AS UNPAID TSA SCREENERS CALL IN SICK AMID SHUTDOWN

Shortages of federal airport security workers in the partial U.S. government shutdown prompted several large U.S. airports to close security lanes Monday, as the impasse over funding for a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico rippled throughout the aviation industry. Travelers at Hartsfield-Jackso...

INDIAN GOVERNMENT DRAWS UP NEW CIVIL AVIATION ROADMAP TO 2040

India's government has issued a 20-year roadmap for civil aviation growth that projects a sixfold increase in the country's passenger numbers, to 1.1 billion by 2040, and a quadrupling in the commercial airline fleet over the same span, to 2,400 aircraft. The "Vision 2040" roadmap,...

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES NEW HAWAII FLIGHTS STALLED BY GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Southwest Airlines' long-awaited flights to Hawaii are on hold due to the federal government shutdown. The problem: The airline needs to complete the Federal Aviation Administration's certification process for extended overwater flights, but the FAA workers who oversee those so-called ETOPS ...

CANCUN WELCOMES SWOOP'S INAUGURAL FLIGHT FROM HAMILTON

Today Swoop celebrates its inaugural flight between John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (YHM) and Cancun International Airport (CUN). The four-hour non-stop flight departs Hamilton at 8:00 a.m. EST and arrives Cancun at 11:59 a.m. EST. The Cancun International Airport and tourism partners a...

EMIRATES OUTLINES 2019 SCHEDULE DURING RUNWAY CLOSURE

Emirates will ground up to 48 aircraft and reduce flights by 25 percent during a planned closure of one of Dubai International Airport’s two runways in April and May. The 45-day closure of DXB’s southern runway is due to extensive maintenance work required on the heavily used strip.The a...

CONNECT AIRWAYS UPS OFFER FOR FLYBE

The Connect Airways consortium that is planning to take over UK regional Flybe has increased its offer for the airline and agreed a bridge loan after conditions for the first credit facility could not be met. Connect, which is made up of Cyrus Capital, Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Group, agreed last ...

UNITED FLIGHT OUT OF SPOKANE STRIKES BIRD DIVERTS TO SEATTLE

A United Airlines jet that took off Friday morning from Spokane struck a bird and then faced visibility problems at the airport, prompting pilots to divert to Seattle, an airport spokesman said. Todd Woodard, spokesman for Spokane International Airport, said he wasn't sure exactly where the bird...

NEW BLADE CERTIFIED FOR ROLLS-ROYCE TRENT 1000

Rolls-Royce has received FAA and EASA certification for a redesigned intermediate pressure (IP) compressor blade designed to address durability issues on Trent 1000 Package C engines. Rolls-Royce has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certificat...

NEPTUNUS CONSTRUCTS TEMPORARY TERMINAL AT BERLIN SCHÖNEFELD AIRPORT

The company specializes in constructing temporary structures. The makeshift terminal building will remain in place for up to two years while airport facilities are modernized. Neptunus was responsible for the entire project, installing electricity, lighting, heating, air-conditioning, toilet facilit...

UNITED AIRLINES INAUGURATES BUSINESS LOUNGE AT LOS ANGELES AIRPORT

United Airlines has opened its United Polaris business class lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the US. Located in Terminal 7 between Gates 73 and 75A, the lounge imitates the distinct culture of Southern California and offers a host of food and beverages to member passengers. The ...

A PASSENGER GOT A GUN ON BOARD AN AIRPLANE

A passenger was able to carry a gun through a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening area and board a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Tokyo on Jan. 3, according to a statement released on Sunday. In the statement, the TSA confirmed the news, but denied the lapse in security wa...

TSA NO-SHOWS? MIAMI AIRPORT TO CLOSE A TERMINAL EARLY FOR 3 DAYS AMID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Miami International Airport plans to close one of its terminals early for three days starting this weekend. The concern? There may not be enough screeners showing up to work as the government shutdown drags into another week. Starting Saturday and lasting through Monday, Miami will close the Transpo...

UK PLANS TO PROVIDE MILITARY-GRADE ANTI-DRONE SECURITY TO ALL AIRPORTS

The British Government is reportedly considering plans to deploy military-grade anti-drone equipment after an intrusion by illegal drones caused chaos at two of the busiest airports in the UK. The proposed measures come after drone sightings at Gatwick Airport in December prompted the airport to hal...

ORLANDO AIRPORT REACHES 47M PASSENGERS WITH GROWTH BY LOW-COST AIRLINES

Orlando International Airport is now hosting passengers arriving and departing at a rate of more 47 million annually, reflecting a steady expansion by low-fare airlines. Pushing that count still higher, Frontier Airlines announced Wednesday morning that it will be adding this spring nonstop flights ...

INDONESIAN AIR FORCE PLACES ORDER FOR EIGHT ADDITIONAL H225MS

The Indonesian Air Force has ordered eight additional twin-engine multirole H225M helicopters as part of the country’s fleet-strengthening initiative for a combat search and rescue-capable fleet.Under the agreement between the Indonesian Ministry of Defence and PTDirgantara Indonesia (Persero)...

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN STALLS AIRCRAFT SAFETY INSPECTIONS, NEW JETS AND ROUTES, INDUSTRY COMPLAINS

Airlines can't get federal officials to sign off on new planes and routes amid the U.S. government shutdown while keeping federal aviation workers furloughed or unpaid altogether threatens the country's key aviation sector, industry members said Thursday. Some 800,000 government workers have...

US SHUTDOWN: HEADWINDS FOR AVIATION AND AEROSPACE

The partial government shutdown in the US is creating havoc across many industries, from the financial sector right through to small businesses operating near the country’s National Parks. The aviation industry is also facing pressure from the shutdown on numerous fronts – ranging from t...

FLIGHT DISRUPTIONS COULD RESULT FROM 'NO-DEAL BREXIT,' GLOBAL AIRLINE ASSOCIATION WARNS

Disruptions to air travel are possible if Britain leaves the European Union in March without a deal, the head of the leading association for airlines around the world warned Thursday. Alexandre de Juniac, director general and CEO of International Air Transport Association, said the risk to traffic f...

SHANNON AIRPORT WELCOMES APPROVAL FOR ‘ENHANCED’ US PRECLEARANCE FACILITIES

CABINET approval for changes to the US Preclearance agreement that will allow for ‘enhanced services’ at Shannon has been welcomed by the airport. The government has approved changes to the Ireland-United States Preclearance Agreement to allow for enhanced services at Dublin and Shannon ...

FRONTIER AIRLINES REVEALS 22 NONSTOP ROUTES THIS WEEK

Frontier Airlines announced even more new routes this week, unveiling new options in multiple cities. The collection of routes announced on Wednesday followed on the heels of two separate announcements earlier this week. Cumulatively, Frontier says its moves this week include a total of 22 additiona...

HEATHROW SUSPENDS OPERATIONS AFTER DRONE SPOTTED NEAR AIRFIELD

London’s Heathrow Airport temporarily halted all departing flights as a safety measure after a drone was spotted flying near the airfield. A Heathrow spokeswoman told the BBC that it was a ‘precautionary measure’ to ‘prevent any threat to operational safety.Law enforcement ag...

DEBUT OF PAINE FIELD PASSENGER FLIGHTS COULD BE DELAYED BY FEDERAL SHUTDOWN

The highly anticipated return of airline service to Paine Field in Everett, Washington, could be knocked off schedule by the ongoing government shutdown. The airport is expected to rejoin the U.S. aviation map next month with the launch of its first commercial airline flights in decades. Those fligh...

DELTA AIR LINES BOOKS ORDER FOR ADDITIONAL 15 AIRBUS A220 AIRCRAFT

Delta Air Lines has ordered 15 additional A220 aircraft, bringing to 90 the total of the new generation, highly fuel-efficient jetliners the world’s second-largest airline has on order.  The additional orders are the airline’s first for the -300 model. Delta also converted earlier A...

AIRBUS REMOVES 10 A380S FROM ORDER BACKLOG

Airbus has removed orders for 10 A380s which had previously been allocated to an undisclosed customer. The revision, disclosed in the airframer’s full-year activity figures for 2018, brings the total number of orders for the double-deck aircraft down to 321.It also cuts the year-end backlog to...

LONDON SOUTHEND AIRPORT RUNWAY UPGRADE TO LAST THREE MONTHS

London Southend Airport in the UK has estimated that the £10m project aimed at upgrading the durability and performance of the airstrip will last for three months. Stobart Group owns and operates London Southend Airport, Stobart Air and Stobart Aviation Services. The airport will be closed to ...

ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT DIVERSION LEADS TO A 30-HOUR NIGHTMARE FOR PASSENGERS

Alaska Airlines faced a furious reaction from outraged passengers Monday following a weekend transcontinental flight that turned into a 30-hour nightmare journey. Passengers boarded Alaska nonstop flight 1367 from Boston to Los Angeles on Saturday at 6 p.m. and waited almost two hours on the ground ...

AIR TRAVELERS START TO FEEL EFFECTS OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

The partial government shutdown is starting to affect air travel. Over the weekend, some airports had long lines at checkpoints, apparently caused by a rising number of security officers calling in sick while they are not getting paid. Safety inspectors aren't even on the job. A Federal Aviation...

EMIRATES SKYCARGO FLEW 2.6 MILLION TONNES OF CARGO IN 2018

Between January and December 2018, Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, flew close to 2.6 million tonnes of cargo across six continents. From fruits and vegetables to space satellites, from pharmaceuticals to domestic pets, the air cargo carrier transported goods that have had a dire...

UK TOUGHENS AIRPORT DEFENCES AFTER GATWICK DRONE INCIDENT

UK government authorities are to start testing and evaluating a range of counter-drone technologies in the country, intended to prevent airport disruption of the scale which recently affected London Gatwick. The UK’s Department for Transport has outlined the measures in a consultation response...

HEATHROW AND GATWICK AIRPORTS TO DEPLOY ANTI-DRONE TECHNOLOGY

The UK’s London Heathrow and Gatwick airports are set to implement military-grade anti-drone equipment to deal with illegal drone flights near airfields. The latest development follows a recent incident of drone sightings at Gatwick Airport that caused widespread disruption and led to the canc...

JAPAN AIRLINES TO UTILIZE SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL TO REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS

Japan Airlines (JAL) will take another step forward in its commitment to invest and realize the operation of an aircraft utilizing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). By the end of January, JAL plans to operate select flights from San Francisco to Tokyo (Haneda) with SAF supplied by Showa Shell Sekiyu ...

AIR TRAVEL MAY BE LESS SAFE DURING THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, FEDERAL INSPECTORS WARN

Federal aviation safety inspectors haven't been inspecting anything for the last two weeks because of the government shutdown. Deemed nonessential workers, the inspectors say they're anything but. Holding signs saying, "Was your airplane properly repaired and inspected today? The FAA do...

DUBAI AIRPORT RECEIVES 81.4M PASSENGERS IN 11 MONTHS OF 2018, UP 1.3%

Dubai International (DXB) received 6.9 million customers in November 2018, bringing the hub's year to date traffic to 81.4 million passengers. The airport is expected to maintain its position of the world's third busiest airport after Atlanta International Airport and Beijing Capital Interna...

SUPERJETS ON HOLD? RUSSIAN SSJ-100 DELIVERY TO IRAN FROZEN ‘OVER US-MADE PARTS’

Tehran may not receive Russia’s Sukhoi SuperJet 100 airliners to boost its aging air fleet due to US trade restrictions. The Jets reportedly have more US-made parts that are allowed for export without Washington’s approval. Earlier, Russia and Iran sealed a deal for the delivery of 40 ne...

AIRBUS SELLS 120 FORMER BOMBARDIER C SERIES JETS TO US AIRLINES

The manufacturer says the airline dubbed Moxy is buying 60 A220-300 aircraft formerly called the C Series in a deal valued at a total of about US$5.5 billion based on 2018 list prices, although buyers typically receive large discounts. Airbus says it will fulfill two new aircraft orders of jets form...

AIRLINE OFFERS DAILY JOPLIN FLIGHTS TO CHICAGO

Joplin travelers could be boarding flights to Chicago in June if the City Council approves financial guarantees for the new air service at a meeting Monday. Steve Stockam, airport manager, said Thursday that American Airlines Inc. is offering to provide the Chicago connection starting June 6. Airpor...

2 INJURED, 130 WITHOUT POWER AFTER SMALL PLANE CRASHES NEAR TOWNSEND

Two men were seriously injured in a plane crash discovered by NorthWestern Energy near Townsend on Wednesday evening. Broadwater County Sheriff Wynn Meehan said the Cessna 180 crashed about 2 miles southwest of Townsend between the Missouri River and U.S. Highway 287. Two adult males were on board, ...

KOREAN AIR A220 SUFFERS SIGNIFICANT ENGINE DAMAGE

A Korean Air Airbus A220-300 suffered a failure to its left Pratt & Whitney PW1500G engine on 27 December 2018. In response to FlightGlobal's query, the carrier confirmed the incident, stating that the aircraft registered HL8314, was operating as flight KE753 on the Busan-Nagoya route with 6...

TRUMP'S 'BORDER SECURITY' SHUTDOWN: CUT OFF CASH TO PEOPLE AND AGENCIES THAT PROTECT US

With the government shutdown now in its second week, President Donald Trump has doubled down on his demand for a border wall. As Trump explained, We need Border Security, and as EVERYONE knows, you can’t have Border Security without a Wall. The Drones & Technology are just bells and whistl...

AMAZON LEASES 10 MORE CARGO PLANES FROM AREA COMPANY

A Willmington-based company has expanded leasing and operating agreements with one of the world's largest online retailers. Air Transport Services Group in Willmington has agreed to lease another 10 freight airliners to Amazon for delivery services, the companies announced recently. Per the agre...

DELTA EXPECTS SLIGHTLY LOWER FOURTH QUARTER UNIT REVENUE

Delta Air Lines has further trimmed its fourth-quarter unit revenue expectation amid weaker-than-expected yields. The Atlanta-based airline now predicts fourth-quarter unit revenue per available seat mile will increase roughly 3% year-on-year, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange C...

RYANAIR GETS UK AIR OPERATOR CERTIFICATE

Ryanair has received its UK air operators certificate (AOC), allowing the Irish airline to fly domestic and international flights within and from Britain after the UK leaves the European Union in March. The airline welcomed the decision and said the risk of a ‘no deal’ Brexit is rising. ...

QATAR AIRWAYS ACQUIRES 5 PERCENT OF CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES

Qatar Airways has acquired a 5 percent stake in China Southern Airlines (600029.SS), the state-owned Gulf carrier said on Wednesday, in a move to gain access to the fast-growing mainland Chinese market. Qatar Airways also owns a 20 percent stake in British Airways-parent International Consolidated A...

VIETNAM INAUGURATES VAN DON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Located in the north-eastern coastal province of Quang Ninh, the airport has been built with an investment of $310m. Van Don Airport is capable of handling large aircraft, including Boeing 777s and Airbus A350s.Covering 290ha, the new airport is wholly owned by Sun Group and was built in collaborati...

JETBLUE TO DECIDE ON THE A321LR IN 2019

JetBlue Airways chief executive Robin Hayes says the airline will make a decision on the Airbus A321LR in 2019, almost three years after it took up the option of converting some deliveries to the long-range variant. Hayes says in a New Year's message to JetBlue employees: "In 2019 we will a...

ISRAEL SET TO OPEN RAMON AIRPORT

Ramon Airport was built with an investment of $500m and will initially start operations on 22 January with domestic flights, before extending to international operations in March. The facility is the country’s newest international airport.Initially, the Arkia and Israir carriers will operate t...

PRESTWICK AIRPORT'S GOVERNMENT DEBT RISES TO £38.4M

The debt owed by Prestwick Airport to the Scottish government has risen in the past year from £30m to £38.4m. That was while revenue rose through a doubling of funds from refueling aircraft at the publicly-owned facility. Accounts lodged with Companies House show the holding company made...

BOC AVIATION ORDERS MORE BOEING 737 MAX

Singapore-based lessor BOC Aviation has agreed to buy 11 737 MAX aircraft from Boeing.The Bank of China unit announced the deal on Thursday in a stock exchange statement. The 737s will be delivered in 2019 and 2020.BOC Aviation has already arranged leases for two of the aircraft with an unnamed airl...

BOMBARDIER GLOBAL 7500 PUT INTO OPERATION

The new business jet Global 7500, which is the most long-haul aircraft in its class, was put into operation, the aircraft manufacturer, Bombardier, said. The aircraft with a range of 14,260 km was certified late, in October of this year. It was originally planned that the launch of the aircraft will...

IRAN AVIATION AGENCY REFUTES CLAIMS ALLEGING BERLIN PLANS TO BAN MAHAN AIR

The spokesman for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) on Sunday dismissed media reports alleging that Berlin intended to ban the country’s Mahan Air airline from using German airports in 2019, Trend reported citing Sputnik. Iran's Civil Aviation Organization has not received any r...

INTERGLOBE AVIATION GAINS AFTER SIGNING CODESHARE AGREEMENT

InterGlobe Aviation rose 0.57% to Rs 1,160.05 at 09:28 IST on BSE after the company signed a codeshare and mutual cooperation agreement with Turkish Airlines. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 21 December 2018. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 74.64 points, or 0.21% to ...

FRONTIER AIRLINES ADDS 11TH A320NEO AIRCRAFT TO ITS FLEET

Denver-based Frontier Airlines has taken delivery of its eleventh A320neo aircraft from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). The aircraft lessor, that previously financed nine A321ceos with Frontier, has delivered this new A320neo aircraft via Sale-Leaseback (with commitments for an additional five...

BOEING LANDS JET DEALS WITH NIGERIA, SAUDI ARABIA FOR $9.3B

Flyadeal, a unit of Saudi Arabian Airlines, is committed to order 30 airplanes with options for 20 more in a deal that would be valued at up to $5.9 billion at list price. Boeing and Lagos-based Green Africa Airways announced a preliminary deal which once finalized will involve 50 firm orders for it...

LONDON SOUTHEND AIRPORT TO START RUNWAY MAINTENANCE PROJECT

The UK’s London Southend Airport is set to start a maintenance project to upgrade the durability and performance of the facility’s runway. Work on the project will involve an investment of £10m is scheduled to begin on 7 January next year. Runway maintenance is needed to enable the...

NASHVILLE AIRPORT OPENS PARKING FACILITY AND TRANSPORTATION CENTRE

Nashville International Airport (BNA) has officially opened the newly constructed $115m parking and transportation center for travelers. The center is part of the airport’s renovation project ‘BNA Vision’ Growth & Expansion Plan was completed $7m under budget at an overall cost...

3 DEAD AS SMALL PLANE CRASHES IN NORTHWEST ATLANTA PARK

A small plane has crashed in a northwest Atlanta park, killing all three people on board, Atlanta fire officials said. The Cessna 560 went down Thursday at 12:40 p.m. in English Park, near I-285 at Bolton Road and about two miles from the Fulton County Airport, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen confir...

NERVOUS GATWICK RESUMES SERVICES AFTER FURTHER SUSPENSION

London Gatwick airport has resumed operations after a brief further suspension of operation at the hub, initiated following another suspected drone incursion. Flights operated by EasyJet and RwandAir were sent into holding patterns at around 17:00, followed by other services. The RwandAir aircraft a...

REPUBLIC FINALISES ORDER FOR 100 E175S

Republic Airways has firmed up an order for 100 Embraer 175s, first unveiled at the Farnborough air show in July. Deliveries from the order, which has a list-price value of $4.69 billion, will begin in 2020. The deal includes purchase rights for another 100 E175s, with conversion rights to the E175-...

CEBU PACIFIC EXPECTS A321NEO DELIVERY IN Q1 2019

Cebu Pacific Air has confirmed that it expects to take delivery of its first Airbus A321neo in the first quarter of 2019, as it received its final A321ceo. The latest delivery completes the Philippine low-cost carrier’s order for seven A321ceos, all of which were delivered in the last 10 month...

ENAV WINS CONTRACT FOR CONTROL TOWER MODERNISATION AT TRIPOLI AIRPORT

Italian air navigation services provider ENAV has won a contract from the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority to modernize equipment in the control tower at Tripoli International Airport. Under the contract, ENAV will deliver and deploy three new workstations for air traffic controllers. The company wil...

UNITED AIRLINES ADDS 11 NEW ROUTES FROM CHICAGO, HOUSTON, LOS ANGELES AND WASHINGTON, D.C.

United Airlines today announced the addition of 11 new routes from its hubs in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. United's new summer service, beginning in June 2019, will connect customers to popular summer vacation destinations in California, Colorado, Florida, Oregon, Michiga...

NO INJURIES AFTER SMALL PLANE CRASHES AT SEDONA AIRPORT

Nobody was injured when a small plane crashed at Sedona Oak Creek Airport shortly before 5 this evening, firefighters said. Crews said the plane had skidded off the south end of the runway.Firefighters said when they arrived there was smoke coming from overheated landing gear, which had separated fr...

DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT UNVEILS NEW PASSENGER SCREENING SYSTEM

Denver International Airport (DEN) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have released a new passenger screening system featuring enhanced advanced imaging technology (eAIT). The new system is designed to improve checkout security. It also screens passengers in less than one second, a...

AUCKLAND AIRPORT TRIALS 3D SCANNER TO BOOST SECURITY

New Zealand’s Auckland Airport has unveiled a 3D scanner that will allow quarantine officers to easily scan and identify unwanted pests in the bags of international passengers. The new X-ray technology produces 3D pictures, which will help discover items that have previously been hard such as ...

​VIRGIN AUSTRALIA ATR SUFFERED FLAMEOUTS IN BOTH ENGINES

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating an incident in which a Virgin Australia 72-600 suffered non-simultaneous flameouts in both engines during the same flight. The incident involved aircraft VH-FVN, which was operating the Sydney-Canberra route on 13 December. While the air...

BOEING COMPLETES NATO AWACS UPGRADES

Boeing delivered the final Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft modernized with avionics and a digital cockpit to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Manching, Germany. This delivery is the final of 14 and ensures NATO AWACS compliance with current and future air traffic...

BOEING TO INVEST 4.2 BLN USD IN COMMERCIAL AVIATION OF BRAZIL'S EMBRAER

U.S. top aircraft maker Boeing Company (Boeing) announced Monday an investment of 4.2 billion U.S. dollars in taking the majority control of a commercial joint venture with Brazil's aviation giant Embraer. The new deal, which is subject to the approval of the Brazilian government, regulators, an...

AIR ASTANA TO EXTEND REGIONAL FOOTPRINT

As Kazakhstan’s national carrier Air Astana awaits delivery of its delayed A321LRs to replace its to-be-retired Boeing 757-200s, having become the second operator after Norway’s Wideroe to take delivery of the first of its five Embraer E-190 E2s, it is moving on its sizeable plans to dev...

AMAZON AIR TO BUILD A HUB AT FORT WORTH ALLIANCE

Amazon.com has selected Fort Worth Alliance as its new regional hub and will build a brand new sorting facility at the airport, the Dallas Business Journal has reported. Construction of the new facility has already begun. It is expected to complete and become operational in 2019. We are excited to b...

LION AIR AND BOEING ARE HEADING INTO A $30B FEUD

The crash of a Boeing plane that killed 189 people in Indonesia is spiraling into a $US22 billion ($30.6 billion) feud between the aircraft maker and one of Asia's most influential aviation bosses. In a rare public dispute between the planemaker and one of its biggest customers, the head of PT L...

LUTON AIRPORT OPENS NEW TERMINAL AFTER £160M UPGRADE

Luton Airport has re-opened its terminal following the latest phase of a renovation project that aims to double passenger handling capacity by 2020. The £160m three-year redevelopment aims to make journeys easier, quicker and more comfortable. The number of passengers has already increased by ...

AMERICAN ADDS NEW ROUTES FOR SUMMER 2019

American Airlines is launching 18 new domestic routes and adding extra flights to two international destinations for summer 2019 travel. The new domestic routes include a new destination: Kalispell, Montana’s Glacier Park Airport, with service from Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and Chicago O...

AMERICAN ADDS NEW ROUTES FOR SUMMER 2019

American Airlines is launching 18 new domestic routes and adding extra flights to two international destinations for summer 2019 travel. The new domestic routes include a new destination: Kalispell, Montana’s Glacier Park Airport, with service from Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and Chicago O...

UNION SHUTS DOWN AVIATION AGENCIES’ OFFICES AT LAGOS AIRPORT

The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) on Friday shut down the offices of aviation agencies at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, over the delay in the release of their Conditions of Service. Newsmen report that the union is protesting the delay in the release of the Conditions of S...

STARR INSURANCE EXPANDS AVIATION TO BRAZIL

Starr Insurance Companies’ Brazilian subsidiary, Starr International Brasil Seguradora, has been granted a local license to offer aviation insurance. Fernanda Stracchino, aviation specialist underwriter, has joined Starr Brazil to head the new aviation division. Starr Brazil will offer a varie...

GATWICK AIRPORT REPORTS 5.7% RISE IN PASSENGER TRAFFIC LAST MONTH

London Gatwick Airport has reported a 5.7% increase in passenger traffic for November compared to the same month last year. During November, more than 3.05 million passengers used Gatwick airport, driven by the facility’s network of long-haul routes. The number of passenger flying to long-haul...

FIRST LOOK AT ANA’S FLYING HONU AIRBUS A380

All Nippon Airways’ first Airbus A380 has rolled out of the paint shop in Hamburg, sporting ANA’s new ‘Flying Honu’ Hawaiian sea turtle special livery. ANA has three A380s on order and will be the first Japanese airline to fly the superjumbo when it is delivered at the end of...

TAP AIR PORTUGAL TO ADD A THIRD NEW U.S. ROUTE FOR 2019

TAP Air Portugal will fly five weekly nonstop round-trips, year-round, between San Francisco and Lisbon from June next year. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) will become the airline’s eighth North American gateway and the only one on the west coast. Last month TAP announced new routes...

UNITED AIRLINES ANNOUNCES LARGEST INTERNATIONAL ROUTE EXPANSION IN SAN FRANCISCO

United Airlines today announced its largest ever international network expansion from its hub at San Francisco International Airport. The airline will offer Bay Area customers nonstop year-round service to Toronto and Melbourne, Australia and seasonal service to New Delhi. United also announced it w...

GOVERNMENT HAS APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF F-16 JETS

Slovakia will buy American fighters F-16 Block 70/72 for €1.6 billion. The respective documents were signed by Slovakia’s Defence Minister Peter Gajdoš Slovak National Party and Ana Wugofski, vice-president of US company Lockheed Martin. The order includes 14 aircraft, aviation equ...

ACG MOVES TO REPOSSESS JETS FROM AVIANCA BRAZIL

Aviation Capital Group has moved to repossess eight Airbus A320s and one A319 that was leased to embattled carrier Avianca Brazil. The lessor states that the leases were terminated on 12 December, and it has initiated legal proceedings to take the nine aircraft backlight Fleets Analyzer shows that t...

PERTH AIRPORT TRIALS SLEEPING PODS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLERS

Perth Airport has started testing sleeping pods at its T1 precinct for international passengers, becoming the first Australian airport to offer these services to travelers. In collaboration with Smarte Carte and Finnish company GoSleep, the airport has installed eight sleeping pods at its terminal. ...

IATA HOPEFUL OF MINIMAL DISRUPTION FROM BREXIT CUTOVER

Airline body IATA is optimistic that the relevant governments will take the necessary steps to ensure continuity of air services after the UK's scheduled departure from the European Union on 29 March 2019. While flagging his concerns about continued uncertainty, IATA director general Alexandre d...

ENAV AND IATA LAUNCH AIRSPACE STRATEGY FOR ITALY

This development comes after an announcement earlier this year when ENAV and IATA agreed to develop and implement a national airspace strategy for Italy. Italian airline Alitalia and the national airports association Assaeroporti also contributed towards the development of the strategy. The strategy...

NEW FOLDABLE DRONE FLIES THROUGH NARROW HOLES IN RESCUE MISSIONS

Inspecting a damaged building after an earthquake or during a fire is exactly the kind of job that human rescuers would like drones to do for them. A flying robot could look for people trapped inside and guide the rescue team towards them. But the drone would often have to enter the building through...

NATS INSTALLS DIGITAL FLIGHT STRIP SYSTEM AT BRISTOL AIRPORT

Air traffic services provider NATS has deployed its new Hub and Spoke electronic flight progress strip (EFPS) system at Bristol Airport in the UK.The new system will integrate the airport’s tower and approach services. The airport handles more than 75,000 flights annually, carrying approximate...

SKYWEST GIVES LEWISTON MORE WAYS TO FLY

Passengers are filling seats on SkyWest flights between Lewiston and Salt Lake City, prompting the airline to maintain more service this winter. A midday arrival and departure that typically is reduced to four days in January and February will remain at seven days a week in January and is likely to ...

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MOVES TO CUT LONG WAITS IN LINES

County commissioners last week OK’d a contract with SITA Information Networking Computing USA to install systems to analyze lines and predict wait times at security checkpoints, allowing airport resources and staff to be allocated as needed leading, in theory, to shorter and faster lines. The ...

SPIRIT AIRLINES GROWS NETWORK INTO INDIANAPOLIS

Beginning March 14, Spirit will begin nonstop daily service from Indianapolis International Airport (IND) to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas.   Just about two months later, on May 2, Spirit will add nonstop seasonal flights between ...

MORTENSON HIRES AVIATION CONSTRUCTION EXPERT MACADAM GLINN TO LEAD ITS NATIONAL AVIATION BUSINESS

Mortenson continues to grow its national aviation business and has hired MacAdam Glinn, Esq., LEED AP as general manager of aviation. Glenn, based in Chicago, is spearheading efforts to expand the company’s construction projects at U.S. airports, including work directly for the airports, with ...

SWISSPORT USES HONEYWELL’S SOLUTION FOR AIRPORT GROUND HANDLING

Developed in collaboration with telematics firm Pinnacle, the GoDirect Ground solution will allow Swissport to connect the ramps it uses at airports. It provides real-time information about vehicles engaged in aircraft loading and unloading, baggage sorting, as well as passenger and crew transportat...

DIAMOND DEBUTS UPDATED DA62 DIESEL TWIN

Diamond Aircraft Industries is debuting at MEBAA 2018 its new twin-engine DA62 demonstrator, featuring some of the added exterior and interior design options that will be available beginning with the 2019 models. These include an automotive-style fold-down second seat row and a blue exterior design ...

CHINA AIMS TO HAVE 450 AIRPORTS BY 2035 - AVIATION REGULATOR

China aims to have 450 airports by 2035, almost doubling its current number of airports as part of the country’s ambition to build itself into an aviation power, its aviation regulator said. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) made the forecast on Monday, according to a report by...

CONGO, US SIGN AIR TRANSPORT AGREEMENT

The United States and the Congo Republic have signed an Open Skies Air Transport Agreement, which is expected to deepen commercial ties between them.

The agreement, signed in Washington between Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Manisha Singh, and Deputy As...

JET AIRWAYS AND FLYNAS IN EXTENSIVE CODESHARE DEAL

Jet Airways and Flynas have entered into an extensive codeshare agreement, targeted at enhancing connectivity between India and Saudi Arabia. Under the deal, Jet Airways will place its code on Flynas’ services between the cities of Dammam, Jeddah, and Riyadh, as well as on the Saudi Arabia bud...

CAE EYES LOOMING MIDDLE EAST PILOT SHORTAGE

Middle East operators will need about 1,500 new pilots to fly business aircraft in the Gulf States market across the next decade, based on forecasts by training provider CAE and avionics and engine manufacturer Honeywell.CAE (Booth 427) estimates replacement pilots due to attrition at 8 percent per ...

CLEAR DEPLOYS BIOMETRIC SECURITY LANES AT LOUIS ARMSTRONG AIRPORT IN US

With the rollout at MSY, Clear is currently available at 27 major airports, including John F Kennedy International Airport. The biometric security scanners are intended to help more than 12 million passengers annually passing through the airport. At the terminal’s security checkpoints, passeng...

PASSENGER CHARTER DELAYED AS AIRLINES BATTLE LOSSES

We have received many inputs from the stakeholders, including all the airlines, on the passenger charter. “I have heard that the passenger charter is not getting the green light due to arm-twisting by the airlines, Arora said. Arun Charthe, who also travels often, spoke about disparity. In suc...

GEMALTO TO TRIAL BIOMETRIC BOARDING TECHNOLOGY AT LOS ANGELES AIRPORT

Digital security specialist Gemalto has partnered with an airline to launch a trial of biometric boarding technology in Terminal 4 at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the US. Known as Gemalto’s Live Face Identification System (LFIS), the trial will check whether the passengers’...

ENGINE MAKER CFM PLANS CHINA COOPERATION

Aero-engine manufacturer CFM International, which supplies the domestically manufactured C919 aircraft, said it is bullish on the Chinese market's growth potential and hopes to have more cooperation with Chinese suppliers. Currently, more than 20 percent of aircraft powered by CFM engines are in...

SYSTEM THAT SAVED RUNAWAY AIRLINER IN CALI. ALSO INSTALLED IN DC AREA

The system that saved 117 people on board a Southwest Airlines flight that ran off the runway in Burbank, California is also installed in our area. Engineered Material Arresting System—better known as EMAS—is a foamy bed of plastic and recycled glass installed at airports with runways th...

AMERICAN EXPRESS TO OPEN CENTURION LOUNGES IN UK AND US

American Express has unveiled plans to open the 13th and 14th Centurion-branded lounges at London’s Heathrow Airport in the UK and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, US. Centurion Lounge at Heathrow airports will be located after security in Terminal 3, will cover 7...

IATA REPORTS PASSENGER DEMAND BOUNCE

October’s revenue passenger km demand was up 6.3 percent compared to the same month last year. It beat September’s 5.5 percent, which was an eight-month low. October’s healthy performance is reassuring after the slower demand growth in September,” IATA Director General Alexan...

AVOLON ORDERS 100 A320NEO-FAMILY JETS

Irish-based lessor Avolon is ordering 100 Airbus A320neo-family jets, comprising 75 A320neos and 25 A321neos.No engine selections have been disclosed. The jets will be delivered from 2023, the lessor confirms.Avalon values the deal at $11.5 billion and gives it over 265 aircraft on order with the ai...

RYANAIR FACING LEGAL ACTION IN THE UK AFTER BUDGET AIRLINE REFUSES TO PROVIDE REFUNDS

Ryanair is facing off against the U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority, with the regulator taking the budget airline to court, saying Ryanair owes thousands of U.K. customers refunds after a summer filled with flight cancellations and delays. The CAA is an independent specialist regulator established...

BOEING, ELG CARBON FIBRE FIND NEW LIFE FOR AIRPLANE STRUCTURE MATERIAL

Boeing and ELG Carbon Fibre today announced a partnership to recycle excess aerospace-grade composite material, which will be used by other companies to make products such as electronic accessories and automotive equipment. The agreement the first of its kind for the aerospace industry covers excess...

WESTJET BRINGS AUSTRALIA CLOSER

Airline opens bookings to Australia with the expansion of Qantas relationship. WestJet today announced it has expanded its codeshare relationship with Qantas by placing its WS code and flight numbers on Qantas-operated flights between Los Angeles and Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Canada's fav...

CARDIFF AIRPORT TESTS SUPER-SENSITIVE PASSENGER SCANNING SYSTEM

The UK’s Cardiff Airport is set to trial a super-sensitive passenger scanning system that can reveal hidden security threats and boost security. Developed by Sequestim and scientists from Cardiff University, the walkthrough scanner uses space technology to image human body heat. Leveraging the...

PICTURES: POLAND'S ENTER AIR RECEIVES FIRST 737 MAX

Polish carrier Enter Air has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max, one of six ordered by the airline. It received the aircraft, a Max 8 variant, in Warsaw following a delivery flight from Seattle via Reykjavik on 4 December. It plans to put the jet into operation this month. Enter Air previous...

BUDGET FLIGHTS FROM NEW YORK TO EUROPE TAKING OFF ON BURGEONING AIRLINES

When West Village resident Aleksandra Kaczorowski, wanted to go to Poland this summer, she couldn't afford the flight. At about $1,000, it was out of her budget. But Kaczorowski didn't despair, instead of booking a budget airline to Stockholm for about a third of the price before finally hea...

ETHIOPIAN SELECTED TO CREATE NEW GHANAIAN CARRIER

Ethiopian Airlines has sealed an agreement with the Ghanaian government to develop a new national carrier for the country. The African carrier says Ghanaian Aviation Minister Joseph Adda and Ethiopian chief executive Tewolde Gebremariam signed a memorandum of understanding in Addis Ababa today to es...

LUFTHANSA ANNOUNCES DEATH OF VETERAN MAYRHUBER

Germany’s Lufthansa Group has announced the death of its former chief executive, Wolfgang Mayrhuber. He had stepped down early from his position as supervisory board chairman last year, succeeded by Karl-Ludwig Kley. Lufthansa had not elaborated on Mayrhuber’s decision at the time but, i...

LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OPENS RENOVATED TERMINAL 1

The Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and Southwest Airlines have unveiled a renovated Terminal 1 at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The 13-gate terminal underwent a nearly $516.7m modernization. It features a new check-in area equipped with new self-service ticket kiosks and a nine-lan...

DELTA UNVEILS FIRST US BIOMETRIC TERMINAL

Delta Air Lines introduced its first ‘biometric terminal’ over the weekend at Atlanta’s Terminal F, the international terminal. Introduced with US Customs and Border Protection, the terminal is the first biometric terminal in the United States, with the facility available for Aerom...

FAA REQUIRES AIRLINES TO REPLACE GENX-2B FUEL MANIFOLDS

The Federal Aviation Administration is ordering airlines to replace fuel manifolds on some GE Aviation GEnx-2B67 engines, which power Boeing 747-8s, due to the risk of an engine fire.An airworthiness directive that takes effect on 4 January comes in response to an engine fire caused by "low-cyc...

UK AND CANADA CONCLUDE POST-BREXIT OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT

The UK has concluded a new air services agreement with Canada to allow for uninterrupted services between the two countries after Brexit. Canadian transport minister Marc Garneau says the new agreement will allow any number of Canadian and British carriers to operate between both countries and gives...

AMERICAN AIRLINES SAYS VIDEO FOOTAGE PROVES PASSENGER WAS NOT ABANDONED IN WHEELCHAIR

American Airlines says it has video footage to back up its denial that a woman was abandoned in a wheelchair overnight Friday after her flight was canceled. The family of Olimpia Warsaw, who is described as having Parkinson's Disease and difficulty communicating, told CBS Chicago she was traveli...

AMERICAN INAUGURATES FIRST SECTION OF $8BN LAGUARDIA REBUILD

American Airlines inaugurated the new eastern concourse at New York LaGuardia airport today, the first piece in a nearly $8 billion airport upgrade project. Fort Worth, Texas-based American, whose flight AA4645 to Columbus was the first to depart at 05:59 local time today, Air Canada and Southwest A...

U.S. WANTS NEW AVIATION STANDARD TO EXPAND PASSENGER DATA COLLECTION

The United States is pushing for a new global aviation standard by late 2019 that would expand the collection of passenger records from airlines, a high-ranking state department official said on Friday, in a move that would help combat terrorism while raising privacy concerns. Nathan Sales, the U.S....

TAP PORTUGAL ADDS TWO ROUTES IN US EXPANSION

TAP Air Portugal aims to double its North American operations over the next few years, and as part of those plans, it is adding two new US destinations, Chicago and Washington, DC from summer 2019. The new routes, between Lisbon and Chicago O’Hare, launches June 1, 2019, operating five times w...

WESTJET HIRES MUEHLEN AS CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER

Canadian discounter WestJet has hired Malaysia Airlines executive Arved von zur Muehlen as the chief commercial officer, a new title at the company. The decision to hire Muehlen, who will start 2 January pending immigration approval, will help WestJet better develop a global brand, the Calgary-based...

AIRPORTS AND AIRLINES CYBERSECURITY SPENDING TO REACH $3.9BN IN 2018

Cybersecurity investments by airports and airlines are increasing year-on-year and expected to total $3.9bn in 2018, according to a report from technology firm SITA. Titled ‘2018 Air Transport Cybersecurity Insights’, the report says that investment in cybersecurity by airports is expect...

HEATHROW TURNS TO COPENHAGEN OPTIMIZATION TO FUTURE-PROOF OPERATIONS

London Heathrow Airport has selected Copenhagen Optimization’s Better Airport software to enhance its operations and accommodate future growth. Better Airport is a Cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution. The platform has been designed to enable the airport to optimize the planning, ...

NO INJURIES REPORTED AFTER TWO SMALL PLANES COLLIDE AT PHOENIX-MESA GATEWAY AIRPORT

Two small planes collided Wednesday morning at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, officials said. Two general aviation aircraft were involved in the incident at the airport near Ray and Power roads in Mesa, just before 9:40 a.m., said Ryan Smith, a spokesman for the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.  No...

U.S. NEAR AVIATION AGREEMENT WITH POST-BREXIT UK

The United States and the United Kingdom are nearing an open skies aviation agreement to govern air travel after Britain exits the European Union, two government officials briefed on the matter said on Tuesday. The sides have set what they expect will be a final round of talks for Wednesday, the U.S...

WATERTOWN AIRPORT RECEIVES $500,000 FOR NEW BAGGAGE HANDLING SYSTEM

Lawmakers announced Tuesday that the Watertown International Airport will receive an upgrade to its baggage handling in the spring, with a mechanized carousel replacing the current cramped checked luggage retrieval system. As the Watertown Airport has grown dramatically in recent years, many of the ...

UNITED AIRLINES ANNOUNCES FLIGHTS BETWEEN PAINE FIELD AND DENVER, SAN FRANCISCO

United Airlines Thursday announced it will begin nonstop service between Paine Field/Snohomish County Airport and its hubs in Denver and San Francisco beginning March 31. Based on pending government approval, United will operate two daily flights from Denver and four daily flights from San Francisco...

WOW AIR RETURNS FOUR AIRCRAFT IN RESTRUCTURING

In a regulatory statement, the airline said it was downsizing its fleet by two Airbus A320s and two A330s “as a part of a necessary restructuring of the airline and to ensure maximum utility of its remaining fleet. The restructuring will not impact on its plans to fly to India, the airline sai...

WINGO TO USE FIFTH 737 FOR HANDFUL OF CITIES FROM PANAMA PACIFICO

Copa Airlines low-cost affiliate Wingo will use its fifth Boeing 737 to serve a handful of destinations out of Panama Pacifico that can sustain nonstop low-cost service, says Copa chief executive Pedro Heilbron. It will not be more than four markets out of Panama Pacifico, Heilbron told Flightglobal...

LAKE AIRCRAFT ATTRACTING 'SERIOUS INTEREST' FROM POTENTIAL BUYERS

Lake Aircraft parent Revo says five companies from Europe and the USA have shown "serious interest" in purchasing the light amphibious aircraft manufacturer and are now formally submitting their proposals. Included in the sale are all of Lake's assets, including a spare parts concern, ...

DALLAS AIRMOTIVE BRINGS CHUCK HAGEN ONBOARD TO ROTORCRAFT ENGINE SALES TEAM

Dallas Airmotive, a BBA Aviation Global Engine Services company, announced today that rotorcraft industry veteran, Charles “Chuck” Hagen, has joined the company as the Rotorcraft Regional Engine Manager for the southwest United States and Alaska region. Hagen is an airframe and powerplan...

NATS AND MCLAREN DELOITTE TO BRING F1 TECHNOLOGY TO AVIATION INDUSTRY

The partners will work on products, which are intended to transform how operational decisions are made in the aviation industry. Under the collaboration, McLaren will combine its know-how with Deloitte’s data analytics capabilities. This will be complemented by NATS' experience in managing...

ADRIA AIRWAYS TENTATIVELY ORDERS 15 SUPERJETS

Adria Airways has signed a letter of intent to lease 15 Sukhoi Superjet 100s which will be maintained through a proposed joint venture MRO operation based in Ljubljana. The Slovenian airline says the jets will be delivered from the beginning of 2019 under a long-term lease agreement. Adria chief exe...

UIA 737'S UNAUTHORISED TURN PRECEDED AIRPROX AT PARIS

French investigators are probing an airprox incident at Paris Charles de Gaulle which appears to have followed an unauthorized maneuver by a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800. The aircraft (UR-PSB) had departed runway 27L, on the northern side of the airport, for a service to Kiev. Frenc...

MCI REOPENS AFTER WINTER STORM SHUTS DOWN RUNWAYS SUNDAY

Kansas City International Airport reopened Sunday night, allowing some departures after a winter storm forced the airfield to close for more than four hours. All departures and arrivals were suspended about 2:30 p.m. as blowing snow reduced visibility at the airport to less than a 1/4 mile. Many fli...

NEXTANT AEROSPACE ACHIEVES LANDMARK STC APPROVAL FOR CHALLENGER 604XT PRO LINE FUSION® UPGRADE.

Nextant Aerospace, builders of the 400XTi, G90XT, remanufactured aircraft, and Challenger 604XT upgrade announced today that it has received Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the 604XT Pro Line Fusion®. The timing of the STC is on track with Nextant Aerospace projection at EBACE a year ago...

EVERETT PAINE FIELD FLIGHTS WILL BEGIN MARCH 31

United Airlines' service from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, will begin March 31, the carrier said Monday. United had already announced its intention to fly from the airport north of Seattle, but it had not yet set a start date for its planned routes to Denver and San Francisco. United will...

HEATHROW SELECTS SITA TO UPGRADE COMMUNICATION NETWORK

Heathrow Airport has partnered with IT solutions provider SITA to automate its communication network.The new service is set to introduce emerging automation and self-healing technologies to Heathrow’s existing network tower, which supports more than 12,000 telephones, 150,000 local area networ...

INMARSAT PARTNERS WITH ANSPS FOR AIR TRAFFIC MODERNISATION PROJECT

UK firm Inmarsat has reached agreements with five major air navigation services providers to implement a new air traffic modernisation project. Under the agreements, Inmarsat will team-up with DFS from Germany, Spain’s ENAIRE, Italian company ENAV, and the UK’s NATS, as well as EUROCONTR...

AIRCRAFT GIANT BOEING INTEGRATES BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY INTO NEW FLIGHT SOFTWARE

A new firm, SkyGrid, will be launched as a collaboration between Boeing and SparkCognition.The new firm will be based in Texas, USA, and will work towards the integration of passenger and cargo air vessels into the global airspace. The system will make use of a number of technologies such as Artific...

ALASKA VOLCANO ERUPTION: RED AVIATION WARNING AS VENIAMINOF SPEWS ASH 15,000 FEET IN AIR

A volcano on the Alaskan Peninsula has intensified significantly, spewing ash 15,000 feet into the air, prompting the United States Geological Survey to increase the aviation colour code warning to red, while raising the overall warning level from watch to warning, with some communities warned to br...

BOMBARDIER TO CUT 490 JOBS AT BELFAST PLANT

The cuts to the 4,000 it employs in Belfast are part of Bombardier’s previously announced plans to reduce its global workforce by 5,000. Many of the redundancies are expected to come from the company’s Canadian operations, with most from its train division.The Belfast layoffs due in Febr...

CLEAR DEPLOYS BIOMETRIC SCANNERS AT JOHN KENNEDY AIRPORT’S TERMINAL 4

Terminal 4 at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport has partnered with technology firm Clear to introduce biometric scanners for passengers in the US.The biometric scanners are intended to help more than 21 million passengers a year quickly move through the terminal’s security ...

GULF AIR GROUP INCREASES OWNERSHIP STAKE IN BAS TO 44%

BAS provides ground handling services at Bahrain International Airport. It noted that proceeds will help the company expand to offer services to overseas airports.An agreement was signed by Bahrain Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and Gulf Air Group Holding chairman Kamal bin Ahmed ...

AIRLINES ROLL OUT BLACK FRIDAY, CYBER MONDAY SALES

Black Friday” and Cyber Monday are now firmly entrenched on the ever-growing calendar of holiday marketing gimmicks, giving consumers a virtual cornucopia of deal-hunting opportunities timed to the Thanksgiving holiday.The travel industry has enthusiastically adopted the new retail tradition, ...

PICTURE: LAUDAMOTION TAKES FIRST A320S UNDER RYANAIR OWNERSHIP

Ryanair unit Laudamotion has taken delivery of the first two Airbus A320s being leased from SMBC Aviation Capital.The aircraft, MSNs 2924 and 2928, are the first aircraft delivered on lease to the Austrian carrier since Ryanair increased its stake in the operator to a majority share earlier this yea...

PROBE INTO 737 NEAR-OVERRUN DETAILS TEMPERATURE BLUNDERS

As the crew programmed the flight-management computer prior to departure, a figure of minus 47°C was erroneously entered as the outside air temperature.The flight-management computer uses outside air temperature to calculate the N1 level for engine thrust.Such an abnormally low temperature figur...

WILL NEW AIRLINE FLIGHTS IN EVERETT HURT NEARBY BELLINGHAM AIRPORT?

Alaska Airlines' plan to start its 18 daily flights out of Everett likely will impact traffic at Bellingham International Airport, but officials here are trying to attract more destinations — including Mexico — for local and Canadian travelers.Bellingham's airport is located abou...

LONDON GATWICK SIGNS PARKING CONTRACT WITH PARKCLOUD

The UK’s London Gatwick Airport has signed an agreement with online parking reservation provider ParkCloud.The collaboration will enable passengers flying from Gatwick’s North and South terminals to reserve their parking through ParkCloud’s online network across a range of packages...

AMERICAN AIRLINES' PILOT UNION PUSHES MANAGEMENT ON DELAYS

Union leaders say pilots will push American Airlines for more pay and schedule changes that they believe will reduce chronic flight delays at the world's biggest airline.Daniel Carey, president of the Allied Pilots Association, said Monday that pilots will seek industry-leading wages when their ...

DNATA CONTINUES TO EXPAND AND INVEST IN THE UNITED STATES

Los Angeles - dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers, continues to expand in the United States. The company has launched operations at Los Angeles International Airport and now provides quality and reliable ground handling and cargo services at 20 airports in the country.To e...

PRIVATE JET COMPANY NEW FLIGHT CHARTERS APPROVED FOR BACA–THE AIR CHARTER ASSOCIATION

The BACA approval puts New Flight Charters in an elite group of private aviation companies, one of only five U.S. air charter companies who are approved members of BACA. BACA membership is not easily obtained; charter companies must provide letters of support from nominated 'Proposer' and &#...

LONDON STANSTED GETS NOD FOR PASSENGER INCREASE

London’s third busiest airport, Stansted, has received local council approval to increase the number of passengers it can handle by almost a quarter.Uttlesford District Council approved the increase from the current limit of 35 million to 43 million per year. The airport currently handles arou...

DETROIT METROPOLITAN AIRPORT DEPLOYS INFAX’S TRAX SMARTRESTROOM SYSTEM

Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) has adopted software solutions provider Infax’s TRAX SmartRestroom facility analytics system at its McNamara Terminal.The new system sends real-time data alerts to staff and allows management to monitor restroom traffic flow and take note of any issues report...

AIRPORT SLOTS KEY TO JETBLUE'S EUROPE PLANS: CEO

Access to competitive slots at London Heathrowcontinues to be a crucial factor in JetBlue Airways' deliberation over starting flights across the Atlantic, as the airline's chief executive persists in highlighting challenges faced by smaller carriers like JetBlue in an industry dominated by b...

GULF AIR AGREES A320NEO SALE AND LEASEBACK

Gulf Air has completed a sale and leaseback agreement with SMBC Aviation Capital for six Airbus A320neo aircraft.Bahrain-based Gulf Air has 12 A320neos on order, with the first already in service. The SMBC deal is for the first six of the order.We are delighted to begin a new relationship with SMBC ...

GKN AEROSPACE STEPS INTO WIDEBODY MRO MARKET

GKN Aerospace’s Fokker Techniek business has successfully completed its first A330 major maintenance project. The aircraft was delivered to Air Europa last week, marking another milestone in the company’s long history as an aircraft MRO. Air Europa (Spain) has previously awarded heavy ma...

SUPERSONIC BIZJETS MAY ATTRACT PENTAGON INTEREST

If supersonic passenger jets return to the skies, the U.S. military might find a few reasons to lease or even buy a few.  More than 15 years after the last flight of the Concorde the passenger jet that flew at just over Mach 2  NASA and two private companies, Aerion Supersonic and Boom Sup...

PHILIPPINES RECEIVES BIDS FOR CLARK AIRPORT O&M CONTRACT

The Philippines Government has received bid documents from two consortiums for the operations and maintenance (O&M) of an existing passenger terminal and a new building at Clark Airport in the city of Mabalacat. Documents were submitted to The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Bases Co...

AIR ASTANA E190 CONTROL-LOSS CREW PREPARED TO DITCH IN OCEAN

Investigations are under way into a serious loss-of-control incident involving an Air Astana Embraer 190, during which the crew considered ditching in the sea.It occurred during a post-maintenance ferry flight out of Lisbon aviation technical centre, where the jet had been undergoing C-check work wi...

ALASKA AIRLINES: EVERETT PAINE FIELD FLIGHTS WILL BEGIN FEB. 11

Alaska Airlines announced that its flights there will begin on Feb. 11, when it launches a planned schedule of 18 daily round-trip flights between Everett and eight West Coast cities. Tickets are now on sale on the routes, with promotional fares as low as $39 one way.Though Paine Field is home to Bo...

ATSG EXPANDS 767 FLEET WITH $845M PURCHASE OF OMNI AIR

US air cargo company Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) has closed its $845 million purchase of Omni Air International, a charter carrier that operates a fleet of Boeing widebodies.With the deal, ATSG has taken on a new aircraft type in the 777 and also secured a number of 767s – an aircraft ...

WELLINGTON AIRPORT CLOSES BRIEFLY AFTER DRONE SPOTTED NEAR RUNWAY

The drone was reportedly spotted by a plane approaching the airport site at a height of 600ft, around 3km from the end of the runway in the Evans Bay area.The country’s air traffic service provider Airways stated that the drone was operating in controlled airspace, radionz.co.nz reported.Airwa...

BRAWL BETWEEN AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANTS RESULTS IN LAWSUIT AGAINST CARRIER

An American Airlines flight attendant who says she was dragged down the aisle by her scarf by a fellow crew member has sued the Dallas-based carrier for failing to investigate the July 2016 brawl or take actions to ensure her safety.In her lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court and obtained by The D...

FLY JAMAICA 757 BADLY DAMAGED IN LANDING ACCIDENT

Fly Jamaica believes all occupants of a Boeing 757-200 are safe after the aircraft was badly damaged in a landing accident at Georgetown, Guyana.The aircraft had been around 10min into its flight OJ256 to Toronto when it turned around to head back to the departure airport.Fly Jamaica says the twinje...

RYANAIR JET IMPOUNDED AT BORDEAUX AIRPORT OVER STATE AID CASE

A Ryanair aircraft at Bordeaux airport was today seized by French authorities as part of efforts to reclaim state aid paid to the carrier.In a statement French aviation authority DGAC says it had to impound the Boeing 737 as part of efforts to reclaim subsidies paid to the low-cost carrier for fligh...

RYANAIR, GERMAN CABIN CREW UNION AGREE DEAL

Ryanair and the Ver.di union representing the airline’s Germany-based cabin crew have signed a framework agreement on pay and conditions.The Irish airline said the Collective Labour Agreement confirms the application of German labour law and delivers pay increases and other benefits for cabin ...

NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY LANDS DEVELOPMENT WORK ON ELECTRIC AIR RACE AIRCRAFT ENGINE

Aircraft racing, perhaps more associated with the 1920s and 1930s, is still a major spectator sport, and it is moving with the times. A recently-announced all-electric air racing series has taken a step forward with the formation of a partnership between Nottingham University and the race series, Ai...

DHL TO TAKE OVER EASYJET’S GROUND HANDLING SERVICES AT TWO UK AIRPORTS

EasyJet has appointed DHL Supply Chain to provide ground handling services at Bristol and Manchester airports in the UK.The announcement comes one year after DHL took over ground handling operations at London Gatwick Airport.Under the terms of the agreement, DHL will assume the responsibility for gr...

GARUDA PICKS INMARSAT'S GX AVIATION FOR IN-FLIGHT WI-FI

Inmarsat's GX Aviation in-flight broadband service has been selected by Garuda Indonesia for its fleet of Airbus A330s.The carrier joins low-cost subsidiary Citilink in adopting the wi-fi product.Garuda will work with Lufthansa Systems, Lufthansa Technik and Indonesian technology company Mahata ...

CHILE APPROVES PLANNED LATAM JVS WITH AMERICAN AND IAG

Chile's anti-trust tribunal has approved LATAM Airlines Group's proposed joint ventures with American Airlines and IAG, clearing a long-pending hurdle for Latin America's largest airline and its Oneworld partners.The approval from the tribunal, however, comes with conditions. These inclu...

CHILE COURT APPROVES LATAM, IAG AGREEMENT

A Chilean competition court has given the nod to the proposed business agreement between LATAM Airlines Group, American Airlines, and Iberia and British Airways parent IAG.A LATAM statement said the country’s Free Competition Defence Court had approved joint business agreements between the car...

NAPPING AMERICAN AIRLINES BAGGAGE HANDLER TRAPPED IN CARGO HOLD ON FLIGHT TO CHICAGO

An admittedly intoxicated American Airlines baggage handler fell asleep on the job and ended up flying from Kansas City to Chicago in the belly of a Boeing 737.The employee, who works for American subsidiary Piedmont Airlines at Kansas City International Airport, was working on the ramp for American...

FASTJET YET TO SECURE CRITICAL FUNDING LIFELINE

The loss-making airline says it is able to continue operating beyond October, owing to “some improvement” in trading and cash generation.This has bought the struggling company further time to continue discussions with creditors and its major shareholders. It has been seeking additional f...

AIRBUS COUNTS A220S TO MEET 2018 DELIVERY TARGET OF 800 AIRCRAFT

Airbus has admitted that meeting its target of delivering 800 aircraft this year will pose a greater stretch even after it adjusted the total to include 18 A220s, the former Bombardier C Series program of which the European OEM took control in July. Speaking during the company’s nine-month ear...

UK ADDS FIVE COUNTRIES TO EPASSPORT GATES

Delays at passport control at UK airports should ease from next summer as five more countries become eligible to use ePassport gates.Passengers from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States in addition to British and EU nationals will be able to use the automatic gates from summer...

EMIRATES TO INTRODUCE A ‘BIOMETRIC PATH’ PASSENGER SYSTEM

Emirates Airline is set to launch its fully integrated ‘biometric path’ service at Dubai International Airport to more quickly process passengers using biometric technology such as facial and eye recognition.The latest biometric passenger system, known as Smart Tunnel, has been deployed ...

MEXICO TO SCRAP $13.3BN MEXICO CITY AIRPORT PROJECT

Mexican President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador has announced that his government will cancel a partially built $13.3bn new airport for Mexico City.The latest announcement follows a four-day public referendum launched by López Obrador to gauge public opinion about the constr...

POBEDA DEAL FOR 20 737 MAX INCLUDES HIGH-DENSITY OPTION

Russian budget airline Pobeda is committing to acquiring 20 Boeing 737 Max 8s, with an option to convert some to the high-density ‘Max 200’ variant.It is to take 15 of the aircraft from lessor SMBC Aviation Capital and another five from GECAS, it states in a formal procurement notice.Pob...

TRADE TO BE BIGGEST BENEFICIARY OF DIRECT FLIGHTS TO NEW YORK

The development, which makes Kenya the eighth country on the continent and the first in East Africa to operate direct flights to the US, is seen as a boost to the country’s economy, with focus on trade and tourism.In Africa, only Morocco, Cape Verde, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Sout...

BOMBARDIER VERSUS MITSUBISHI REGIONAL JET

Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier blamed the aircraft division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd that former employees of Bombardier passed on commercial secrets to help the Mitsubishi Regional Jet regional jet project.The corresponding lawsuit in Seattle (USA) was filed on October 19, 2018...

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AIRPORT SELECTS ADB SAFEDOCK TECHNOLOGY

ADB Safegate’s Safedock advanced visual docking guidance system has been installed at Southwest Florida International Airport in the US to optimise gate performance.Safedock A-VDGS, which was installed on a gate in Concourse D of the terminal building, also supports ramp safety. It will create...

​THAI CAUTIOUS ON NEW ROUTES AS IT AWAITS FLEET CLARITY

Thai Airways International is taking a careful approach to growth as it tries to forge a more consolidated group approach, while it awaits for more clarity on its fleet plans.Nowadays, with the limited availability of metal, we have to be cautious launching new destinations, says Krittaphon Chantali...

RYANAIR AGREES SPANISH PILOT UNION RECOGNITION

Ryanair has signed a recognition agreement with the Spanish pilot union SEPLA to cover all of its Spain-based pilots. The Irish low cost airline said negotiations on a full collective labour agreement under Spanish law will start in early November, and Spanish labour law will apply to all Ryanair pi...

PHILIPPINES APPROVES PROPOSALS TO DEVELOP DAVAO AND KALIBO AIRPORTS

The Philippines’ Department of Transportation has granted original proponent status to two firms through the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to upgrade Davao and Kalibo airports.Chelsea Logistics has received OPS for its PHP49bn ($911.76m) unsolicited proposal to manage, operate, a...

CRJ900 HYDROPLANED AND SPUN ON TURKU RUNWAY SLUSH

Investigators have determined that a CityJet-operated Bombardier CRJ900 landed in a tailwind on a contaminated runway, on which it hydroplaned and spun more than 180° before coming to rest.The crew of the aircraft, conducting a service for SAS to Turku on 25 October last year, had opted to use r...

PHILIPPINES APPROVES SECOND RUNWAY AT CEBU AIRPORT

The Philippines House Committee on Transportation has approved a bill that seeks to construct a second runway at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport The Committee, chaired by Catanduanes representative Cesar Sarmiento, passed the House Bill 149. It was authored by Cebu representative Raul Del Mar,...

UNITED PILOT TO PASSENGERS: WE'RE TURNING AROUND BECAUSE OUR PLANE'S TOO BIG

United flight to Chattanooga is delayed because of unforeseen circumstances, it said. This is an unusual situation and we're working hard to solve it. We value your time and we're sorry for the inconvenience Unusual was putting it mildly.And the situation wasn't news to the 50 passengers...

BOMBARDIER SUES MITSUBISHI JET PROGRAM OVER TRADE SECRETS

Canadian airplane maker Bombardier Inc has sued the aircraft unit of Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, saying former Bombardier employees passed on trade secrets to help Mitsubishi’s oft-delayed regional jet project.Bombardier filed the lawsuit late Friday in a federal court in Se...

AEROLINEAS ARGENTINAS FLIGHT LEAVES 15 INJURED AFTER EXPERIENCING SEVERE TURBULENCE

An Aerolineas Argentinas flight left 15 injured after the packed plane experienced severe turbulence during its route from Miami to Buenos Aires, Argentina.Images from inside the plane that were shared to social media show the cabin in disarray, with oxygen masks deployed, parts of the plane broken ...

GATWICK AIRPORT PLANS TO BRING EMERGENCY RUNWAY INTO DAILY USE

The UK’s Gatwick Airport has released its draft master plan, which includes a proposal to bring its emergency runway into routine use to increase flight capacity.As per the existing planning agreement, which is set to expire next year, the standby runway can be used when the main runway is clo...

UNITED MOVES MORE REGIONAL ROUTES FROM NEWARK TO WASHINGTON

United Airlines is set to relocate three regional routes from Newark to Washington Dulles as a part of its hub realignment strategy on the East Coast, ch-aviation schedule analysis has revealed. The carrier's 6x weekly service from Newark to Lexington, KY, currently operated with ERJ-145equipmen...

FATE OF COSTLY STEALTH FIGHTER JETS AT TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE STILL UNKNOWN

While Florida's political leaders urged the Trump administration on Tuesday to prioritize rebuilding hurricane-damaged Tyndall Air Force Base, the fate of billions of dollars worth of stealth fighter jets at the base remained unknown. Experts have said up to 22 of the F-22 Raptors, which cost an...

AIR CANADA'S CLOSE CALL IN SAN FRANCISCO COULD'VE BEEN WORST AVIATION ACCIDENT IN HISTORY

Safety officials say a near collision of airliners in San Francisco last year was a few feet from becoming the worst crash in aviation history.The National Transportation Safety Board issued a final report Thursday on the incident in which an Air Canada jet nearly crashed into planes lined up on the...

TEXTRON DEBUTS SKYCOURIER MOCKUP IN PAX CONFIG

Textron Aviation is debuting a full-scale mockup of the Cessna SkyCourier cabin outfitted in passenger configuration this week at the NBAA 2018 static display. The in-development, pressurized twin-engine turboprop offers seating for up to 19 passengers, a netted rear cabin cargo area that can accomm...

AIR NZ TO COLLABORATE WITH ELECTRIC AIR TAXI OPERATOR

Air New Zealand will collaborate with Zephyr Airworks to bring Kitty Hawk’s Cora automonous electric air taxi to market in New Zealand.The Star Alliance carrier’s says that the agreement starts a long-term relationship with Zephyr, which is looking to use Cora in New Zealand to launch th...

BOEING 787-8 DREAMLINER STARS IN FLIGHT OF DREAMS ATTRACTION IN JAPAN

That 787 Dreamliner is now the giant celebrity centerpiece of an aviation attraction called Flight of Dreams opening in central Japan at Chubu Centrair International, an airport built on an artificial island south of Nagoya.The four-story complex, built between the airport’s two terminals, wel...

ONE AVIATION ENTERS CHAPTER 11 RESTRUCTURING

One Aviation announced today that it has entered into a consensual restructuring arrangement that includes a capital infusion to maintain existing operations, as well as a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The move comes four months after reaching a last-minute agreement to settle overdue rent...

'UNWISE': POLITICIAN SLAMS US AIRCRAFT CARRIER JOINING NATO DRILLS IN NORWAY

A Socialist Left Party representative has slammed the upcoming arrival of the giant USS Harry S. Truman, which has space for more combat aircraft on board than the entire Norwegian Air Force, as "unfortunate" in relation to Russia, NRK reported. This is the first time since 1989 that a US ...

SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE JET FUEL: OPERATORS CAN HELP BREAK THE WAIT

The buzz around sustainable alternative jet fuel has grown to an all-time high in 2018, having picked up momentum this spring following the release of May 2018’s Business Aviation Guide: To the Use of Sustainable Alternative Jet Fuel, Since then, excitement has sustained as business aviation o...

SIGNATURE FLIGHT SUPPORT SPONSORS FIRST OF ITS KIND GIRLS IN AVIATION DAY

Signature Flight Support joins Women in Aviation International chapters and corporate members globally for an outreach event aimed at inspiring the next generation of women in aviation. More than 300 guests are expected to attend. As a dedicated corporate member of Women Aviation International, Sign...

HEATHROW AIRPORT FINED FOR DATA SECURITY BREACH

The operator of London’s Heathrow Airport has been fined GBP£120,000 USD$156,500 by a UK data privacy regulator for failing to ensure that personal data held on its network was properly secured. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) fine was for a 2017 incident when an employ...

WHAT HAPPENS IF IT LANDS THE WRONG WAY UP? THE ONE-PERSON DART FLYER AIRCRAFT

Although reassuring, the point on the Dart Flyer website might seem self-explanatory. Perhaps when you are dealing with engineering this weird, however, a little clarification doesn’t hurt.Proposed by designers at Ray Research for a Boeing-sponsored competition, the Dart Flyer is described as ...

AIR NZ, SINGAPORE AIR ALLIANCE EXTENDED

Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines have received regulatory approval from NZ authorities to extend their alliance for five years until March 2024.The alliance between the two flag carriers launched in 2015, with increased frequencies and new routes introduced over the period. Seat capacity has i...

JFK AIRPORT IN US TO UNDERGO $13BN RENOVATION

Nearly $12bn of the investment will come from private funds and will be used to construct the new terminal complexes, which will add about four million square feet to the airport’s north and south sides.The terminals will also boost the airport’s capacity by at least 15 million passenger...

US APPROVES SALE OF KING AIR 350ER AIRCRAFT TO CANADA

The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Canada of three King Air 350ER aircraft and supporting equipment for an estimated cost of $300 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a release on Thursday. The DSCA explained that th...

ACI URGES AIRPORTS TO DEVELOP CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLANS

The Airports Council International World, the trade association of the world’s airports, has issued a policy brief to encourage airports to develop climate change adaptation plans.The Airports Resilience and Adaptation to a Changing Climate policy brief stresses that the airports should conduc...

TRUMP TO SIGN AVIATION BILL ON FRIDAY: OFFICIALS

President Donald Trump will sign a bill on Friday granting the U.S. government new powers to shoot down threatening drones and creating new consumer protections for airline passengers, officials said on Thursday.Trump is set to sign the bill on Friday that will, among other measures, bar airlines fr...

USA AXES TREATY BEHIND IRANIAN AVIATION SAFETY RULING

US government officials are terminating a 1955 treaty with Iran which had formed the basis of a bid by Iranian officials to lift US sanctions on the country.Secretary of state Mike Pompeo disclosed the decision following the ruling by the International Court of Justice that the US government should ...

FIVE-YEAR FAA SPENDING BILL HEADS TO TRUMP'S DESK

The US Congress has approved a long-term Federal Aviation Administration spending bill that regulates seat size and restricts passenger bumping.Despite these new regulations, the bill has broad industry support for providing the FAA with five years of funding. It now heads to the desk of President D...

AURIGNY TAKES SECOND NEW DORNIER 228

Ruag Aviation has disclosed the delivery of a Dornier 228 to Channel Islands operator Aurigny Air Services.The Swiss manufacturer says it handed over the 19-seat turboprop on 7 September from its German assembly line in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich, and that the aircraft is the second newly built Do...

SUKHOI OFFERS SUPERJET UPGRADES TO APPEASE INTERJET

Sukhoi is offering cabin densification as well as fuel-saving winglets for Interjet's Superjet 100s, in ongoing efforts to persuade the Mexican airline to retain the fleet after it faced well-documented operational issues with the type.The modifications are on the table, we are committed to doin...

72-HOUR SALE: SOUTHWEST FARES FALL BELOW $100 ROUND-TRIP

Southwest’s big twice-a-year fare sale is back, with round-trip fares below $100 on dozens of the carrier’s shortest routes.The sale fares also include longer routes, with the price of flights loosely tied to distance. Flights begin at $49 each way on Southwest’s shortest routes an...

UNITED ADDS NINE 787-9S TO ORDERBOOK

United Airlines has ordered nine more Boeing 787-9s, bringing its backlog for the type to 13 aircraft.The jets will be used to replace older widebodies in United's fleet when they begin arriving in 2020, says the US carrier.The order has a list-price value of more than $2.5 billion.With the late...

F-35 LIGHTNING II TESTS BEGIN FROM QUEEN ELIZABETH AIRCRAFT CARRIER

For the first time in eight years, fast jets have been in operation from a British aircraft carrier as tests begin of F-35 Lightning IIs from HMS Queen Elizabeth. Tests will take 11 weeks, during which time more than 500 takeoffs and landings are scheduled to take place.The jets taking part in the t...

TRENT 1000 WOES CONTINUE FOR ROLLS-ROYCE

More durability concerns centered on Rolls-Royce’s Trent 1000 turbofan have prompted the UK aero-engine maker to further reduce the life of intermediate pressure turbine blades in certain Package C engines to avoid premature failure. Guidance issued on Thursday will require operators to remove...

QANTAS ANNOUNCES FIRST OF TWO PILOT ACADEMIES

The academy, which will train up to 250 pilots each year, will be built at Toowoomba’s Wellcamp Airport in the south of the state. Construction will start next month, with planned completion in mid-2019.The cost of the school is estimated at AUD$35 million, with most of the funding coming from...

MALAYSIA AIRLINES' 787 AGREEMENT LAPSES

Malaysia Airlines has disclosed that a tentative agreement with Boeing to order eight 787-9s, has lapsed.Responding to an email inquiry, the Oneworld carrier says the agreement lapsed in June. However, it did not state the reasons for not proceeding with the deal.We are currently evaluating options ...

BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT OFFERS NEW SERVICE FOR FLIGHT UPDATES

Birmingham Airport in the UK has rolled out a new service for departing travelers that allow passengers to access flight updates through Facebook Messenger. The airport has incorporated its flight update service known as Flight Smart to Facebook messenger following its success through Twitter, launc...

WSP SECURES MAJOR ROLE IN BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT’S EXPANSION

UK-based engineering consultancy firm WSP has secured a five-year contract from Birmingham Airport to future-proof the airport. The programme, which forms part of the airport’s ten-year expansion and development plan, has the option to extend the contract for a further two years. Under the ter...

BOEING WINS UH-1N REPLACEMENT CONTRACT FROM USAF

Boeing has been awarded the first portion of a $2.38 billion firm-fixed-price contract to replace the US Air Force’s Bell UH-1N fleet with its MH-139 helicopter, derived from Leonardo Helicopters' commercial platform. The $375 million initial award is for four helicopters and the integrati...

JETBLUE INTRODUCES NEW PUERTO RICO LIVERY

The airline said the Airbus A320’s name blend’s JetBlue’s brand with the affectionate name for people of Puerto Rican descent. Billerica was designed with the help of JetBlue crew members based in San Juan, Aguadilla, and Ponce in Puerto Rico. The blue livery features several cultu...

AAR WINS A320NEO COMPONENT MRO DEAL FROM AIR MALTA

Air Malta has engaged US maintenance provider AAR to provide Airbus A320neo component support.AAR says the hour-based maintenance deal spans nose-to-tail ATA chapter coverage for airframe, engine and APU line-replaceable units, and includes the supply of on-site inventory to the airline's Malta ...

TSA TO TRIAL INTRUSION DETECTION TECHNOLOGY AT MINETA SAN JOSE AIRPORT

The US Transportation Security Administration has selected the Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to test new perimeter intrusion detection and deterrence technologies. Besides San Jose Airport, the TSA will also test the intrusion detection technology at Miami International Airport base...

MODERN AVIATION TO BUY XJET’S DENVER FACILITY AT CENTENNIAL AIRPORT

Modern Aviation, a fixed-base operator platform backed by Tiger Infrastructure Partners, has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of XJet World Holdings’ subsidiary XJet at Centennial Airport in the US. After the acquisition, the Denver facility will be rebranded as Modern Aviation. It wi...

FLEDGLING FBO CHAIN MAKES MAJOR ACQUISITION

Modern Aviation, which launched in February with the purchase of Air Wilmington, has made a major splash with the announcement that it has acquired XJet, the highly rated FBO at Denver Centennial Airport. XJet is known for its high-quality facilities, outstanding customer service, and commitment to ...

SYDNEY AIRPORT TO REDUCE ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR ‘QUIET TERMINAL’ INITIATIVE

Sydney Airport has announced plans to reduce announcements at T1 International Terminal as part of a new ‘quiet terminal’ initiative to offer a relaxing environment for passengers. Starting 17 September 2018, announcements will be limited to gate areas at the terminal, with only importan...

NETHERLANDS TO PROCEED WITH MAJOR AH-64 UPGRADE

The Netherlands will spend over $1 billion to remanufacture and upgrade its 28 Boeing AH-64D Apache attack helicopters to the AH-64E standard. A letter of agreement for the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) upgrade deal was signed US and Dutch officials, says the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency. I...

THOUSANDS OF DRONES EXPECTED TO FLY ON FLORENCE

Thousands of drones are expected to be used to assess property and infrastructure damage in the wake of Hurricane Florence this week in the Carolinas. There will be thousands of drone pilots out flying for this event for sure, Airbus Aerial president Jesse Kallman told AIN. Aerial matches satellite ...

RYANAIR TO ALLOW LOCAL CONTRACTS UNDER ITALIAN CABIN-CREW DEAL

Budget carrier Ryanair and trade unions representing cabin crew in Italy have reached an agreement that will allow staff to be employed under local contracts. A set of "agreed principles" negotiated with FIT-CISL, ANPAC, and ANPAV will form the basis of a collective labor deal applicable f...

PICTURES: DELTA'S FIRST A220 ROLLS OUT OF MIRABEL HANGAR

Airbus has released images which show Delta Air Lines' first A220-100 rolling out of the paint hangar at the final assembly line in Mirabel, Canada. The initial aircraft, bearing Delta's livery, is now moving to pre-flight activities in Mirabel's A220 flight-line hangar, says Airbus. It ...

HAWAIIAN TO BEGIN BOSTON FLIGHTS IN 2019

Hawaiian Airlines is striking east to Boston with the launch of nonstop flights between the Massachusetts capital and Honolulu on 4 April 2019. The route, at 4,427nm, will be the longest in Hawaiian's network, says the airline. It will operate the service five days a week using Airbus A330s. Alr...

PICTURE: ​AXLE FATIGUE CRACK LED RYANAIR 737 TO LOSE NOSE-WHEEL

UK investigators have determined that a fatigue crack in the nose-gear axle of a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 caused one of the wheels to detach on take-off from London Stansted. The left axle of the inner cylinder failed as the jet turned onto runway 22 in preparation for a departure to Copenhagen on 15 ...

PICTURE: ECUADORIAN ARMY RECEIVES M28 TRANSPORT

Sikorsky-owned PZL Mielec has delivered an M28 utility transport to the Ecuadorian army. Flown from Mielec in Poland by company pilots via stops in Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the USA, and Central America a distance of over 7,300nm the aircraft was handed over at Shell Mera air base. Ecuador ordered...

OSAKA'S KANSAI AIRPORT RESTARTS LIMITED OPERATIONS

The US National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an engine failure on a Delta Air Lines flight shortly after takeoff from Atlanta. A limited number of domestic flights will operate from Osaka’s Kansai International airport on 7 September, three days after major flooding caused it t...

​BOEING KC-46 ATTAINS FAA SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE

The US Federal Aviation Administration has awarded the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tanker a supplemental type certificate, thus completing the type’s FAA certification process. To receive its STC, Boeing’s team completed a series of lab, ground and flight tests, which commenced in 2015, says th...

NORWEGIAN STARTS SELLING ARGENTINA DOMESTIC FLIGHTS

Norwegian Air’s rapid expansion continues with the launch of ticket sales for its new domestic flights in Argentina. Norwegian announced flights on six routes from Buenos Aires, with two, to Córdoba and Mendoza, starting on October 16. Iguazú, Bariloche, Neuquén and Salta ...

HOBART INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PLANS TO MODERNISE DEPARTURES LOUNGE

Hobart International Airport in Australia has announced plans to modernize its departures lounge with an investment of A$4.5m ($3.23m) to improve the passenger experience. The refurbishment project is expected to commence by September, with completion scheduled for mid-December this year. Upon compl...

STRIKING ETHIOPIAN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS RETURNING TO WORK

Most striking air traffic controllers at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and some domestic airports in Ethiopia have returned to work after union leaders agreed to some concessions with the country’s civil aviation authority on Wednesday. According to the Flight Service Bureau&rsquo...

FLOODS AHEAD OF TYPHOON FORCE KANSAI AIRPORT TO CLOSE

Widespread flooding across the airfield caused by storm surges forced Osaka’s Kansai International airport to suspend operations at noon, local time, on 4 September. The surges have been caused by the approach of Typhoon Jeb to the area, and pictures on social media show runways, taxiways, and...

AA, QANTAS “KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON” WHILE US GOVT CONSIDERS ALLIANCE BID

American Airlines and Qantas have told the United States government their current level of codesharing is akin to “keeping the lights on” as they await a decision from the Department of Transportation (DoT) on a proposed alliance. The remark was included in the pair’s latest submis...

NEVER, EVER TRY TO SHOOT AT A DRONE. NEIGHBORHOODS BUZZ WITH COMPLAINTS OVER PESKY DRONES.

Neighborhood message boards are buzzing with complaints that drones, more popular than ever for work and play, just won't back off. Users here of the local social network Nextdoor for months have been stewing about these small, flying vehicles, which often carry cameras, accusing them of snoopin...

AIRLINES WAIVE CHANGE FEES AHEAD OF TROPICAL STORM GORDON

Airlines were waiving change fees ahead of Tropical Storm Gordon, which appeared likely to make landfall along the Gulf Coast late Tuesday or early Wednesday. After moving across South Florida on Monday, Gordon could be a hurricane before moving onshore near the Louisiana-Mississippi border, accordi...

UNITED AIRLINES ANNOUNCES NEW PRAGUE-NEWARK ROUTE

United Airlines has announced that it will offer flights between Prague and Newark, New Jersey, right beside the largest American city of New York, from June 7. The new daily service will be operated by Boeing 767-300ER featuring both Economy and Business Class seats. The airport estimates the route...

PICTURE: ASSEMBLED ANA A380 EMERGES FOR TESTS

Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways’ first Airbus A380 has rolled off the final assembly line in Toulouse. The aircraft is set to undergo ground tests ahead of its first flight which, says the airframer, will take place “in the coming weeks”.Upon completion of flight-tests, the air...

WESTERN TO DEVELOP NEW HANGAR AT SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Construction work on the new hanger is expected to start this year with completion expected over the next one year. Western is responsible for designing, building, financing, and leasing back the facilities to independent corporate clients. The City of San Antonio aviation director Russ Handy said: ...

IS JETBLUE RISKING ITS BRAND EQUITY BY LEADING ON CHECKED BAG FEES?

The airline that purportedly seeks to bring humanity back to travel increased the charge for the first checked bag by $5, to $30, effective immediately. An airline spokesman told Bloomberg, We constantly review and adjust our ancillary pricing to ensure a healthy business. I understand airlines exis...

RYANAIR, UNION SIGN IRISH CABIN CREW AGREEMENT

Ryanair has signed another cabin crew union recognition agreement, this time for the airline’s Ireland-based flight attendants. The agreement with the Fórsa union is Ryanair’s fourth for cabin crew at its European bases. The low-cost airline said it looked forward to concluding ne...

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA CONVERTS 10 737 MAX 8 ORDERS TO MAX 10S

Virgin Australia has converted orders for 10 of the 40 Boeing 737 Max 8s it has on order to the larger Max 10 variant. The carrier says that that delivery of the 737 Max 10s will commence in 2022, and it remains on track to take delivery of its first 737 Max 8 in November 2019. All 737 Max aircraft ...

ORIENTAL TO DELIVER WATERPROOFING SYSTEM SERVICES FOR BEIJING AIRPORT

It can withstand various types of abnormal environments and has the advantage of aging resistance. We have provided construction and professional waterproofing design services for this world-famous project.Beijing’s new airport will feature a total area of 41,000mu. The airport is being develo...

RYANAIR ITALY PILOTS APPROVE COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT

Ryanair’s Italy-based pilots have voted to accept a collective agreement with the airline after eight months of negotiations. The ANPAC union representing the pilots said the ratification vote passed with a large majority after a series of escalating 24-hour strikes by cockpit crew caused hund...

RUSSIAN AIRLINE TO PRODUCE ITS OWN BUSINESS JETS

According to his press service, the governor has visited the airlines’ aviation training center and met with its General Director Vladimir Obedkov, who told him the company plans to invest around 13 billion rubles $192.87 million in the new enterprise. About 1,000 jobs will be created, he said...

ETHIOPIAN PARTNERS CHAD IN NATIONAL AIRLINE LAUNCH

Ethiopian Airlines announced its participation in a second national airline launch, with an agreement with the government of Chad. The as-yet-unnamed flag carrier will launch in October after the joint venture agreement was finalized last week in Addis Ababa. The government of Chad will retain a 51 ...

UK’S BEST AND WORST AIRPORTS NAMED

The UK Consumers' Association has named the best and worst airports in Britain after it surveyed over 11,000 of its members.CA, which publishes the Which? monthly consumer report, named Doncaster Sheffield airport as the best in the survey, with a score of 87 percent. Another smaller regional ai...

SYRACUSE'S HANCOCK AIRPORT GETS $2 MILLION FOR DE-ICING EQUIPMENT

The grant through the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program was announced by Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. It will support the reconstruction of a de-icing containment facility. The airport is in the midst of a $60 m...

CLOSE CALL FOR FALCON WITH DEF CONTAMINATED FUEL

Another mishap involving jet-A contaminated by diesel exhaust fluid occurred on August 14 when a Fair Wind Air Charter-operated Dassault Falcon 900EX was forced to make an emergency return to Miami Opa-Locka Airport after suffering a failure of two of its three engines. DEF, a urea-based solution th...

US DOT SELECTS BOUTIQUE AIR TO SERVE JOHNSTOWN AIRPORT

The US Department of Transportation US DOT has selected new airline carrier Boutique Air to operate flights at the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport. From 1 November this year, Boutique Air will start offering daily passenger flights to Pittsburgh International Airport and Baltimore-Washi...

BOEING ASSEMBLING FIRST BLOCK II CHINOOK

Boeing and the U.S. Army inducted the first CH-47F Block II engineering and manufacturing development EMD helicopter into final assembly earlier this summer. Our progress from contract award to final assembly in less than a year is a direct result of the efficiency and reliability of the program,&rd...

STUDY FINDS 68% OF UK PASSENGERS PREFER USE OF AI BY AIRPORTS

Younger travelers prefer the use of artificial intelligence technology by airports to enhance their experience, reveals an online YouGov poll commissioned by in-flight entertainment and passenger engagement company Spafax. The survey, which involved nearly 2,110 respondents, asked about their wish l...

AMSTERDAM AIRPORT SECURITY GUARDS TO STRIKE SEPT 4

Unions representing security guards at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport have called a 24-hour strike for September 4 in support of a pay and conditions claim. The FNV Security and CNV Professionals unions said the strike will apply to other locations as well, but we're announcing the Schiphol ...

AIRLINES ANNOUNCE NEW RULES AROUND CARRY ON LIQUIDS ON INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS AND IT COULD REDUCE THE TIME YOU SPEND IN BAGGAGE CHECK

Passengers could soon be able to get through airport security checkpoints quicker if new scanning technology takes off. Innovative explosive detection technology could mean flyers will no longer have to remove liquids and laptops from their carry-on bags. The 3D scanners are already used to monitor ...

APN OUTDOOR SIGNS ADVERTISING AGREEMENT WITH SYDNEY AIRPORT

Australian outdoor advertising company APN Outdoor has extended its strategic partnership agreement with Sydney Airport. Under the terms of the 5.5-year agreement, APN Outdoor will cover advertising assets across all domestic and international terminals. The contract also includes external billboard...

UNITED PLANS LIE-FLAT PREMIUM PRODUCT ON 737 MAX 10S

United Airlines is testing a lie-flat premium product for the Boeing 737 Max 10, as part of a plan to expand its domestic premium transcontinental offering. The 737s with lie-flat first class seats would allow the Chicago-based carrier to offer its premium domestic product in more markets where it s...

FLAIR ADDS LOW FARE USA ROUTES

Flair Airlines (Edmonton, AB), Canada's only independent low fare airline today announced it is introducing non-stop flights to six popular U.S. destinations this winter. The new routes will extend Flair's rapidly growing network to Florida's Orlando International Airport, St. Pete-Clear...

PICTURES: EX-QATAR AMIRI 747-8I UNDER SALES CONTRACT

Flightglobal understands that an executive-configured Boeing 747-8I formerly used by the Qatari government is under contract ahead of the completion of the sale to a new owner. The aircraft, MSN42096, had been put on the market by Swiss-based specialist AMAC Aerospace. Flight Fleets Analyzer lists t...

NORWEGIAN AIR INTERNATIONAL BLAMES ONE-OFF COSTS AS LOSS DOUBLES

Budget carrier Norwegian’s Irish subsidiary, Norwegian Air International, is attributing to non-recurring costs a full-year operating loss of more than $456 million. At the end of 2017, the company held the commercial results for 12 Boeing 787-8s leased from Norwegian for transatlantic routes ...

AMERICAN AIRLINES GETS APPROVAL TO BEGIN GUYANA OPERATIONS FROM NOV 15TH

With Cabinet’s approval, American Airlines Inc. will commence operations between Georgetown and Miami, USA, on November 15th, State Minister Joseph Harmon announced yesterday. Harmon told a post-Cabinet press briefing that the airline applied to operate four flights per week on the Miami, USA ...

PICTURE: AIRBUS PREPARES TO FLY FIRST ACJ320NEO

Airbus has unveiled the first corporate version of its re-engined A320neo, which is due to be delivered to operator Acropolis Aviation. Once delivered, in the fourth quarter, the ACJ320neo will be transferred to Swiss-based specialist AMAC for outfitting. In the meantime, the jet – fitted with...

NEW U.S. VISA RESTRICTIONS MAKE HAVING SECOND PASSPORT MORE VALUABLE

According to International Living Magazine, there are good reasons why citizens of many countries should, and indeed, have a right to acquire a second citizenship, particularly in a new country where taxes are reasonable, freedom is greater and property investing is of keen interest. That new passpo...

PICTURE: CATHAY 777 WING TIP MANGLED IN ROME

The right wing tip of a Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ER was severely damaged in an incident at Rome Fiumicino Leonardo Da Vinci airport on 15 August. Data from Flightradar 24 shows that the aircraft is registered as B-KPY (MSN 37899), and the carrier tells Flightglobal that the aircraft was schedule...

BOEING TO CONVERT F/A-18 E/FS INTO BLUE ANGELS

Boeing was awarded $17 million to convert nine F/A-18E and two F/A-18F aircraft into Blue Angel demonstration aircraft. The Super Hornets are to replace the squadron’s McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornets, which have been in use since 1986. The retrofit work will be done in St. Louis, Missouri and...

NEW SERVICE ALLOWS PASSENGERS TO SKIP SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION QUEUES

Germany-based chauffeur provider Blacklane has released the Blacklane PASS airport service to allow passengers to skip security and immigration queues. The pass intends to better utilize passengers’ travel time without the need for annual membership clubs or frequent flyer status. The Blacklin...

HEATHROW AIRPORT URGED TO CUT WAITING TIMES AT BORDER CHECKS

Heathrow Airport has been advised to cut down waiting times at its border checks after new data showed that delays at the hub have led to queues of up to two and a half hours in the last month. According to figures released by Virgin Atlantic, the Border Force at the UK’s largest airport has f...

VANUATU CREW UNABLE TO BRAKE ATR BEFORE COLLISION

Pilots of an Air Vanuatu ATR 72-500 were unable to steer or brake the turboprop before it crashed into a pair of Britten Norman Islanders during a runway excursion on landing at Port Vila. Papua New Guinea investigators state that the crew had declared an emergency about 20min before the landing, af...

RYANAIR CLAIMS DUTCH SERVICES UNAFFECTED DESPITE PILOT STRIKE

Ryanair is insisting that its Dutch operations will not be disrupted by a sudden decision by local pilots to join a strike against the airline. The budget airline says there will be “no cancellations” to or from the Netherlands on 10 August, despite the 24h industrial action which had al...

INVESTIGATORS CONSULT ON FINDINGS FROM EMIRATES 777 CRASH

United Arab Emirates investigators have embarked on reviewing a draft final report into the Emirates Boeing 777-300 landing accident at Dubai two years ago. The aircraft was destroyed after a gear-up landing on runway 12L, after failing to climb away during an attempted go-around. While all of the p...

ORIX CONFIRMS DEAL TO TAKE 30% STAKE IN AVOLON

Orix Corporation has confirmed that its Dublin-based aircraft leasing unit, Orix Aviation, will take a 30% stake in Avalon under a $2.2 billion transaction. Subject to approvals, the Japanese-backed company will acquire 728,288 shares in Avalon from its parent, Bohai Capital, in a transaction schedu...

AIRCRAFT CABIN UPGRADES MARKET IS EXPECTED TO REACH US$ 8.9 BILLION IN 2023

Streetview Research announces the launch of a new market research report on Aircraft Cabin Upgrades Market by Aircraft Type (Commercial Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, General Aviation, and Military Aircraft), by Application Type (Interior Modifications, Cabin Connectivity, Painting, Airworthiness Dire...

CRASHED JU 52 OPERATOR SET TO RESUME FLIGHTS

Swiss authorities are insisting that vintage aircraft operator JU-Air ensures its personnel is psychologically ready before resuming services, days after a fatal Junkers Ju 52 accident. The federal civil aviation office says that JU-Air intends to restart flights on 17 August, some two weeks after t...

MOSCOW DOMODEDOVO AIRPORT INSTALLS SITA’S SELF-SERVICE GATES

Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME) in Russia has installed SITA’s Airport Self-Service Gates for managing the surge in passengers seen during the recent FIFA World Cup 2018. The automated gates helped the airport to process more than 1.2 million visitors in just over a month around the championsh...

IRAN AIR CHIEF: ATR DELIVERIES ARE 'DEFEAT' FOR US STANCE

Iran Air appears not to be giving up on the prospect of continuing with aircraft deliveries, despite the re-introduction of US government sanctions, following the simultaneous arrival of five more ATR 72-600s. The five aircraft departed Toulouse as a group on the evening of 4 August, taking off at i...

CANADIAN BUDGET AIRLINE SWOOP ANNOUNCES 7 US ROUTES

Upstart Canadian "ultra-low-cost carrier" Swoop is making its first push into the United States, revealing plans Thursday to fly seven routes from five U.S. airports.  The airline’s first U.S. flights start Oct. 11, when Swoop launches non-stop service between Las Vegas and Edmo...

ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO RECEIVE FAA GRANTS FOR MODERNISATION

Ontario International Airport (ONT) in the US is set to receive more than $11.8m Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants for important infrastructure repairs and airport modernization. The grants will be provided through the agency’s Airport Improvement Program that helps US airports in r...

LEONARDO RENEGOTIATING A220 SUPPLY TERMS WITH AIRBUS

Italian aerospace group Leonardo is negotiating with Airbus to secure new terms for the supply of A220 components. Leonardo chief executive Alessandro Profumo said during a results briefing on 30 July that the group had initiated legal proceedings against Bombardier before Airbus took over control o...

WEATHER AMONG AEROMEXICO E190 PROBE CONSIDERATIONS

Investigators will be examining whether poor weather conditions contributed to the apparent runway excursion by an Aeromexico Connect Embraer 190 during departure from Durango. Images from the scene of the accident showed both engines detached from the aircraft during the accident sequence before it...

THOMAS COOK REVEALED AS HI FLY'S FIRST A380 CUSTOMER

Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia has confirmed it is the first customer to wet-lease Hi Fly's Airbus A380.The leisure operator tells FlightGlobal it is using the widebody for a one-off flight today between Copenhagen and Rhodes, to collect customers who have been delayed by IT problems at the Gr...

SKYWEST SECURES ADDITIONAL US3 FLYING CONTRACTS

SkyWest Airlines (USA) (OO, Salt Lake City) has given added details concerning its capacity purchase contracts with each of Delta Air Lines (operated as Delta Connection), American Airlines (operated as American Eagle), and United Airlines (operated as United Express). Concerning Delta Air Lines (DL...

PICTURES: SIA'S FIRST A350-900ULR ROLLS OUT OF PAINTSHOP

Airbus has rolled out the first ultra-long-range A350-900 out of the paint shop in the colors of its launch customer Singapore Airlines. The aircraft will soon undergo further testing before being delivered to SIA in the coming months. Pictures released by Airbus indicate the aircraft bears the regi...

JETBLUE PILOTS RATIFY FOUR YEAR CONTRACT DEAL

Pilots at US airline JetBlue have ratified a four-year contract, the ALPA union’s first collective bargaining agreement with the company. In the pilot vote, 98 percent of eligible pilots participated, with 74 percent voting to ratify the tentative agreement, the Air Line Pilots Association (AL...

REPORT REVEALS WORLD’S MOST LUCRATIVE AIR ROUTES

A British Airways-operated route from London Heathrow Airport to New York’s John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport has been revealed to be the most lucrative route in the world, generating revenues of over $1bn in the past year. The finding was published in a report by aviation market expe...

A220 HAS TREBLE-FIGURE ANNUAL PRODUCTION POTENTIAL

Airbus believes there is sufficient demand in the market to support a potential A220 ramp-up at least to 100 aircraft per year. The airframer is aiming to deliver 18 of the twinjets over the second half of this year, following its acquisition of the former Bombardier CSeries programme. But speaking ...

HMSHOST WINS $258M CONTRACT TO OPERATE DINING VENUES AT DETROIT AIRPORT

The Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) has awarded global restaurateur HMSHost and its partners AJA & Associates and Ellis Infinity a $258m contract to operate nine new dining options in the North Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) in the US.WCAA, which operates the DTW, said that...

SUPPLIER DISPUTE WILL SLOW GULFSTREAM G500 DELIVERIES

Gulfstream’s rate of deliveries on the newly-certificated G500 business jet will be slowed this year as a result of a financial dispute between two suppliers for the propulsion system. Nacelle supplier Nordam filed for bankruptcy on 23 July two weeks after halting production on the nacelle for...

DOD OPPOSES REMOVING TURKEY FROM F-35 PROGRAMME, CITING SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION

The top objection from lawmakers to Turkey receiving the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter is the nation’s agreement with Russia to buy the Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf system. That surface-to-air missile system is considered one of the most advanced on the export market and is advertised by Ro...

MESSER WINS $144M CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR NASHVILLE AIRPORT

Messer Construction has secured a $144m contract from the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) to construct a terminal parking garage and administrative office at the facility. The design-build contract is part of MNAA’s growth and expansion plan ‘BNA Vision’ for Nashvil...

U.S. AIRLINES POISED TO CHANGE TAIWAN REFERENCES AS CHINA DEADLINE LOOMS

Major U.S. airlines are expected to change how their websites refer to Chinese-claimed Taiwan by Wednesday in an effort to avoid Chinese penalties, three sources said, after coordination between the carriers and the U.S. government. Beijing has demanded that foreign firms, and airlines in particular...

HOW LOW-COST AIRLINES ARE CHANGING THE FACE OF AIR TRAVEL

If you’ve booked a holiday at any point in the last fifteen years, the odds are that you’re well aware of the proliferation of low-cost airlines. Budget travel has exploded massively in recent years, opening up an ever growing range of destinations. Today, in the UK a number of airports ...

BA’S HEATHROW FLIGHTS RETURNING TO NORMAL

Flights at London’s Heathrow Airport were returning to normal, but with some delays, on Thursday morning after a double whammy of incidents caused delays and cancellations on Wednesday. The first problem happened just after lunchtime Wednesday when a fire alarm forced the evacuation of the air...

AIRBUS FARNBOROUGH BUSINESS REACHES 431 AIRCRAFT

Airbus said it won new business for 431 aircraft at the Farnborough Airshow, and finished off its week with an additional order from AirAsia X for 34 A330neos.The new business broke down into 93 firm orders and 338 MoUs, comprising 60 A220-300s, 304 A320-family aircraft, 42 A330neos and 25 A350s. Th...

DELTA AND WESTJET FINALISE PLANNED JOINT VENTURE

Delta Air Lines and WestJet have finalised a joint venture agreement, as they move towards closer cooperation between Canada and the USA.The agreement will expand on the carriers' codeshare agreement and allow them to jointly coordinate schedules and plan growth, co-locate at key airports, provi...

USDOT ANNOUNCES $660M IN GRANTS FOR AIRPORT UPGRADES

The US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded $659.8m in airport infrastructure grants for the modernization of 390 airports. The capital assistance, part of a $3.18bn Airport Improvement Program (AIP), includes 450 grants. The new grants const...

DUTCH MILITARY SELECTS GA-ASI TO PROVIDE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has announced that the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) selected company has been selected to provide unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF). According to the statement, this decision follows consideration by the ...

RUSSIAN CARGO AIRLINE BOOSTS BOEING’S TUESDAY

Russian cargo carrier Volga-Dnepr Airlines got Boeing’s Tuesday Farnborough announcements off at a good clip with a commitment to acquire 29 Boeing 777 freighters in a USD$9.8 billion deal. The agreement with the air charter provider included confirmation of an order for five 747-8 freighters ...

TEMPEST CONCEPT UNDERSCORES UK FIGHTER AMBITIONS

A highly ambitious vision of the UK's next-generation fighter was revealed on the opening day of the Farnborough air show, with the Tempest concept adding significant firepower to the Ministry of Defence's new Future Combat Air strategy. Unveiling a full-scale model of the future platform wi...

ROLLS LOOKING FOR PARTNERS FOR FLYING TAXI PROJECT

Rolls looking for partners for flying taxi projectRolls-Royce has designed an electric engine for a flying taxi and is looking for partners to develop an airframe and the electrical systems for a commercial product. The engine uses ‘gas turbine technology to generate electricity to power six e...

FALLING ORDERS FAIL TO CALM BOEING AND AIRBUS’S TRANSATLANTIC RIVALRY

The latest skirmish in the never-ending war between Airbus and Boeing, the duopoly at the heart of the commercial aerospace industry, will be fought at the Farnborough airshow this week. It has not been a vintage year for either half of this great corporate rivalry as they vied for new aircraft orde...

FARNBOROUGH: CAE LAUNCHES NEW MILITARY HELICOPTER FLIGHT TRAINING DEVICE

CAE has launched the CAE 700MR flight training device to improve military helicopter flight and mission training."We listened to our customers to design and develop a high-end flight training device that addresses the highest priorities for military helicopter mission training, such as a realis...

NORTHROP GRUMMAN CEO WES BUSH TO RESIGN BY END OF YEAR

Wes Bush will resign his position as Northrop Grumman’s chief executive on 1 January, ending a nine-year term that saw the company sell off its shipbuilding business and gain a contract to develop a long-range strike bomber for the US Air Force. Bush will also relinquish his chairman role afte...

OPENER UNVEILS FIRST USA-QUALIFIED ULTRALIGHT ALL-ELECTRIC PERSONAL VTOL AIRCRAFT

“OPENER is re-energizing the art of flight with a safe and affordable flying vehicle that can free its operators from the everyday restrictions of ground transportation,” said Marcus Leng, CEO. “We will offer competitive pricing in an endeavor to democratize three-dimensional perso...

HELICOPTER FUEL LEAK PUT 747-8F AT RISK OF EXPLOSION

Failure to defuel a helicopter before it was shipped on board a Cargolux Boeing 747-8F resulted in a serious leak of more than 250kg of fuel, presenting a substantial risk of explosion and badly contaminating the jet’s interior. The Bell 412EP helicopter, destined to be shipped to Germany, was...

PORTER INTRODUCES 'BASIC' ECONOMY FARES

Canadian regional carrier Porter Airlines is introducing a new entry-level fare class, with many service options available at additional cost. Porter is following an airline trend to offer ‘basic fares’ and charge for previously complimentary services such as checked bags and seat select...

AFRL SETS FIRST FLIGHT DATE FOR XQ-58A.

An experimental aircraft designed to demonstrate a radical new concept in modern air warfare will enter flight testing this autumn, says Maj Gen William Cooley, commander of the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The XQ-58A Valkyrie, built by target drone maker Kratos, embodies one approach to...

RYANAIR CANCELS 30 FLIGHTS AS PILOTS SET TO STRIKE.

Ryanair has canceled 30 flights for Thursday due to a planned strike by some of its Ireland-based pilots, despite a last-minute meeting between company and union to avert industrial action. Ryanair said only 94, or 27 percent, of its Ireland-based pilots, will strike on the 12th, but it would have t...

PICTURES: LONDON FLYPAST MARKS RAF'S CENTENARY

Three of the UK's new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning were among around 100 aircraft which took part in a flypast over central London on 10 July as part of the Royal Air Force's ongoing centenary celebrations. A trio of short take-off and vertical landing F-35Bs from the RAF's 617 Sqn app...

MELBOURNE AIRPORT PLANS A$3.5BN UPGRADE WORKS

Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport has revealed an A$3.5bn redevelopment plan that includes the construction of a new runway, an expanded international terminal, and a transport hub, in an effort to meet the increase in passenger traffic expected for the coming decades.“The vision for the t...

​WELLINGTON CONFIRMS DEAL FOR FOUR P-8A POSEIDONS.

New Zealand’s defense ministry has approved an order for four Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The four aircraft, based on the 737 airliners, will replace the country’s aging fleet of Lockheed Martin P-3K Orions, says the ministry. The deal will be conducted under the US go...

​ANA TO CANCEL ADDITIONAL 176 787 SERVICES FOR TRENT CHECKS.

All Nippon Airways will cancel an additional 176 Boeing 787 services in the coming weeks, as it grapples with inspections for part of the fleet’s Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 powerplants. The cancellations will take place up to 22 July, and adds to 113 cancellations from 6-12 July the carrier announ...

ERA SETTLES H225 HELICOPTER LAWSUIT FOR $42 MILLION.

Airbus Helicopters has agreed to pay $42 million in compensation to settle a legal claim brought against it by US operator Era Group in relation to the safety of the manufacturer's H225. The era had initiated the legal action following the April 2016 crash of an H225 in Norway and the subsequent...

AIRBUS FORECASTS 20-YEAR DEMAND FOR 37,400 AIRCRAFT.

Airbus is predicting demand for almost 37,400 new passenger and freighter aircraft over the next 20 years. This total is around 2,500 more than the figure the airframer gave in last year's outlook. Airbus has revised the prediction in its latest global market forecast, covering the two decades t...

ANALYSIS: JUST TWO WOMEN AMONG THE CHIEFS OF TOP 100 AIRLINES.

Flightglobal's latest survey of gender diversity in the airline industry shows that the number of female chief executives among the top 100 carriers has fallen to just two in the past 12 months: Air Europa's Maria Jose Hidalgo and VietJet Air's Nguyen Thi Phuong. Since the 2017 survey, t...

CANADA REQUESTS SEVEN ADDITIONAL AUSTRALIAN HORNETS

Canada has requested an additional seven surplus F/A-18 A/B Hornets from Australia.In February, Ottawa requested seven examples for use in non-flying activities such as software testing, static training, and spares, says Australia’s Department of Defence.The deal is subject to US export contro...

ANA ENGINE INSPECTIONS CAUSE 113 FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS

Boeing and Embraer will create a joint venture to promote the KC-390 and other defense products and services for new markets and applications, the companies announced on 5 July. Japanese airline ANA has announced the cancellation of 113 domestic flights over seven days this month to allow it to insp...

PICTURE: FRANCE RETIRES LAST MIRAGE 2000NS

The French air force has retired the last of its Dassault Mirage 2000Ns, closing a 30-year service life that totaled more than 350,000 flying hours. Three specially liveried examples took part in a ceremony at Istre's air base on 21 June to mark the milestone. Introduced to operational use from ...

UK GIVES BAE SYSTEMS 12-MONTH CONTRACT FOR FCAS WORK

BAE Systems has been awarded a 12-month single-source contract by the UK to continue work on a future combat air system. A contract notice released by the UK Ministry of Defence says that the development effort is at technology readiness level – 3. The MoD justifies the single-source award by ...

AIRBUS ASSUMES CONTROL OF BOMBARDIER CSERIES

Airbus and Bombardier have confirmed the closing of the CSeries transaction, giving Airbus majority control of the Canada-based aircraft series. In a statement, Airbus said it now owns 50.01 percent of the CSeries Aircraft Limited Partnership (CSALP). Bombardier owns 34 percent, and Investissement Q...

DELTA AIMS TO COMPLETE 777 PREMIUM RETROFITS BY 2019

Delta Air Lines debuts the first Boeing 777-200 with its new premium products today, as it begins to install the onboard products on its existing widebody fleet. The Atlanta-based carrier is configuring the 777-200 with 296 seats, including 28 lie-flat business class suites, 48 premium economy, and ...

AIRBUS OFFICIALLY LISTS CSERIES IN PRODUCT LINE-UP

The European airframer is listing the 130- to 140-seat CS300 as having a range of 3,300nm (6,112km) while the CS100, typically seating 120, has a range of 3,100nm. Its online commercial aircraft product pages have been updated to include detailed technical information for the CSeries although the ac...

HUNGARY ORDERS 20 H145M HELICOPTERS WITH HFORCE

Hungary has become the second confirmed customer for Airbus Helicopters' GeForce common weapons platform, with an order for 20 H145M medium-twins equipped with the system.No details on the contract value or delivery timelines have been disclosed, however. In addition, no information on the weapo...

CABIN PRESSURISATION FAULT RESULTED IN LION AIR 737 DIVERSION

Indonesia’s safety investigators are probing a pressurization system problem onboard a Lion Air Boeing 737-900ER that resulted in the aircraft having to make a diversion during a routine domestic flight. The jet registered PK-LFK, already had a record in its maintenance log book that the cabin...

IAG TO CREATE LEVEL-BRANDED NEW CARRIER WITH EX-AIR BERLIN A321S

IAG is to establish a new Austrian-based low-cost carrier under its Level brand this summer, using four Airbus A321 narrowbodies sourced from now-defunct Air Berlin. The European airline group says its new short-haul subsidiary will have Austrian air operator's certificate (AOC) and be based at ...

NORWAY TO SELL REMAINING SAS SHARES

Norway has announced it will sell its remaining shares in flag carrier SAS Scandinavian Airlines. The Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry on Tuesday launched the sale of its remaining 37.8 million shares, representing 9.88 percent of the airline. Norway originally held a 14.3 percent stake in t...

EASA SET TO ORDER TRENT 1000 TURBINE COVER REPLACEMENTS

Operators of Boeing 787s with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 power plants are facing further safety measures, with regulators set to order replacement of cover plates on the high-pressure turbine disc. The European Aviation Safety Agency, in a proposed directive, says an analysis of material conditions used...

BAMBOO AIRWAYS COMMITS TO 20 BOEING 787S

Vietnamese startup Bamboo Airways has signed a commitment with Boeing for 20 787-9 Dreamliners in a deal worth USD$5.63 billion at list prices. The aircraft order, which is yet to be finalized, is tentatively scheduled for delivery between April 2020 and 2021, Boeing said in a statement.“We ar...

IBERIA RECEIVES IAG'S FIRST A350

Spanish flag-carrier Iberia has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-900, which also marks the first of the type for parent company IAG. Iberia has 16 A350s on order. Its initial aircraft – configured with 348 seats in three classes – is the first to feature a performance-improvement ...

VIETNAM'S BAMBOO COMMITS TO 20 787-9S

Vietnamese start-up Bamboo Airways has committed to an order for 20 Boeing 787-9s and plans to deploy the aircraft on international routes to Europe and the USA. The airline, which is wholly owned by conglomerate FLC Group, tells Flightglobal it plans to launch sales in October and begin service in ...

COPA AIRLINES ADJUSTS ARGENTINIAN OPERATIONS DUE TO STRIKES

Copa Airlines has announced this week that passengers flying into Argentina between June 24 and June 26 will be affected by a national strike called by the General Confederation of Labor through the adhesion of the United Aeronautic Unions on Monday, June 25 for 24 hours.

AEGEAN FIRMS A320NEO ORDER

The purchase agreement – covering 10 A321neos and 20 A320neos – was signed during a ceremony in Athens today by Aegean chairman Eftichios Vassilakis and by the Greek airline's chief executive Dimitris Gerogiannis and his Airbus counterpart Tom Enders. A memorandum of understanding fo...

AIRBUS OUTLINES STARK PRODUCTION IMPACT OF 'NO-DEAL BREXIT'

Airbus has emphasized that disruption to its aircraft production model critically depends on smooth and integrated operational flow, and has outlined the substantial measures it would need to adapt to protect that flow should the UK withdraw from the European Union without an adequate trade agreemen...

BOEING SELLS 24 WIDEBODY FREIGHTERS TO FEDEX EXPRESS

FedEx Express will buy 24 new widebody freighters – 12 767-300ERFs and 777Fs each – as continued growth in the freight market fuels a fleet replacement cycle, the cargo carrier, and Boeing announced on 19 June. The orders will be added to Boeing’s backlog once a set of unspecified ...

EMIRATES FOCUSES ON US CODESHARE PARTNERS AFTER GULF DISPUTE

Emirates Airline has no plans to partner with any of the US mainline carriers, and will instead focus on building its codeshare relationships with Alaska Airlines and JetBlue Airways, following the close of a years-long dispute over open skies. The Dubai-based carrier's senior vice-president for...

NIPPON CARGO SUSPENDS FLIGHTS OVER MAINTENANCE ISSUE

Japan’s Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) has suspended all flights due to an “inappropriate” maintenance record on a Boeing 747F freighter. The incident, which happened in early April this year, concerns a lubrication issue on a freighter at Tokyo’s Narita Airport.“In an abu...

GERMANY APPROVES HERON-TP PURCHASE

Germany's parliament on June 13 approved a €1 billion ($1.17 billion) deal to lease Heron-TP unmanned air vehicles manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The approval puts an end to a long-running saga that has seen protests from rival bidders and politicians opposed to the acqu...

SPIRIT AIRLINES REVEALS 13 NEW ROUTES, ADDS ASHEVILLE AND GREENSBORO

Spirit Airlines will expand to Greensboro and Asheville, making the North Carolina cities the 66th and 67th destinations in its network. Spirit will fly three Florida routes from each. The North Carolina flights are part of an ongoing expansion for fast-growing Spirit, which had announced seven othe...

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA CEO TO STEP DOWN

Virgin Australia Group has announced that chief executive John Borghetti will leave the airline at the end of his current contract in 2020. In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, the airline said Borghetti had advised the board that he would not renew his contract beyond its January 1, 202...

BRITISH F-35S ARE NOW CALLING BRITAIN HOME

Six years after the first delivery, the UK’s F-35 fleet has begun arriving on British soil. Four of the nation’s 15 Joint Strike Fighters, belonging to the recently reactivated 617 Sqdn. (“Dambusters”), crossed the Atlantic on June 6 to land at their new home base of RAF Marh...

THE VOTES ARE IN: SUN COUNTRY AIRLINES' NEW PAINT SCHEME IS ...

Last week, Sun Country Airlines asked employees to vote on their preference for a new paint scheme that will eventually adorn the carrier’s airplanes. Now the results are in. Sun Country employees picked the design labeled “Team A” in a “landslide” vote. The company ann...

ROLLS-ROYCE FURTHER BROADENS TRENT 1000 CHECKS

Rolls-Royce is extending its inspection regime on Trent 1000 engines to include other models of the powerplant which may be affected by the blade durability issue.While the analysis and examinations have focused on the Package C version of the Trent 1000, the manufacturer says it has found a "s...

MYKOLAIV AIRPORT RECEIVES APPROVAL FOR CARGO AIRCRAFT

The Mykolaiv airport (Ukraine) has been certified to receive cargo aircraft. To be able to receive passenger aircraft, the airport needs to conclude an agreement with an aircraft ground handling company. The airport’s acting director Fedir Barna announced this at a news briefing on May 24, 201...

CARGO PILOTS CLAIM AMAZON IS DRIVING DOWN AIR CARGO INDUSTRY STANDARDS

As the old saying goes, “if it’s free, it’s for me,” and for most American consumers, nothing beats free. E-commerce giant Amazon understands this well and is known for providing its Amazon Prime customers with 2-day shipping on products and effectively wiping out the retail ...

QATAR AIRWAYS CEO APOLOGIZES THAT MEDIA SENSATIONALIZED HIS SEXIST COMMENT

Qatar Airways’ CEO, Akbar Al Baker, made a controversial comment at the IATA Annual General Meeting. Al Baker was asked by a reporter what he’d do to promote gender equality in the airline industry, and he started off his response by saying “of course [IATA] has to be led by a man ...

AIRBUS SELLS 15 A350S, DELIVERS 51 PLANES IN MAY

May was a tremendously successful month for Airbus. The European manufacturer sold 15 A350XWBs, one A330, and nine A320 Family planes. It also delivered 51 aircraft through all its production lines. The order for 15 A350-900s came from an undisclosed customer. On top of this, one A330-200 was ordere...

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CELEBRATES 'TOPPING OUT' OF TERMINAL 1 PROJECT

The $2.4 billion project, scheduled to be completed in phases from 2019 to 2022, creates an entirely new concourse and Boarding Area B, along with a newly centralized security checkpoint, a new state-of-the-art consolidated baggage handling system, new dining and retail concessions, and post-securit...

AMERICAN AIRLINES COULD PARTNER WITH UAE CARRIERS IF THEY STICK TO 'FREEZE' ON US FLIGHTS

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker has said the possibility of partnering on routes with UAE airlines depends on their future expansion plans into the US in the coming months.“We haven’t had enough time to make sure that those resolutions have the effect that we hope for,” Parker to...

SOUTHWEST SEES BOOKINGS DROP AFTER ENGINE FAILURE

Southwest Airlines expects its operating revenue per available seat mile (RASM) to drop by about three percent in the second quarter on lower bookings after April’s fatal engine failure. It said the fall in bookings was largely due to a reduction in marketing following an engine fan blade fail...

UFO ‘STALKED’ US AIRCRAFT CARRIER FOR DAYS.

A SUPERSONIC UFO shaped like a Tic-Tac stalked a U.S. aircraft carrier for days before vanishing into thin air, according to a bombshell Pentagon report. The object, which could reportedly hover in midair and make itself invisible, bamboozled U.S. Navy fighter pilots during a training exercise in th...

LASER DRILLING MACHINE FOR AEROSPACE MARKET 2018 | INDUSTRY ANALYSIS AND OPPORTUNITY ASSESSMENT – GLOBAL FORECAST 2018 TO 2023

Gold Laser Drilling Machine for Aerospace Market market research report focuses on Past-Current Size, Price, Trends, Shares, Segment & Forecast 2018-2023 and gives in-depth analysis of past and future six years industry Opportunities, Sales, Revenue, consumption, and Market Growth Analysis.
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FUEL LIKELY TO DRAG ON AIRLINE PROFITS THIS YEAR: IATA CHIEF

IATA has signalled that its forecast of a $38 billion profit for the airline industry this year will be revised downwards due to the higher price of fuel, but carriers are now better placed to withstand the challenge. Addressing reporters in Sydney ahead of its annual general meeting, IATA’s d...

HONDA AIRCRAFT INTRODUCES HONDAJET ELITE

Honda Aircraft Company (Greensboro, NC, US) revealed on May 27 a new upgraded aircraft, the HondaJet Elite, at a special hangar event ahead of the 2018 European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland.

ROLLS-ROYCE SAYS TRIPLING CAPACITY TO FIX TRENT 1000 ENGINE PROBLEMS

Britain's Rolls-Royce said it would add maintenance facilities and people to triple its capacity to fix problems with Trent 1000 engines that have grounded Boeing Dreamliner planes, but said this would not raise the cost of the work. Turbine blades and compressors in Trent 1000 package C engines...

AIR BALTIC SIGNS FOR 30 MORE CS300S

Latvian carrier Air Baltic has signed for 30 more Bombardier CSeries aircraft and taken options on a further 30 of the type.The airline says it has executed a firm purchase agreement for 30 CS300s and options for 30 more. Deliveries of the new aircraft are set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2019....

BOMBARDIER ADDS PAIR OF NEW GLOBALS

Bombardier (Booth Z125, Static 22) rolled out two new members of the Global family the 5500 and 6500 during a celebration Sunday evening just prior to the opening of EBACE 2018 in Geneva.To enter service in late 2019, the new Globals present the “longest range, the clearest vision, the largest...

AIRBUS AMERICAS EX-CHIEF TO JOIN WIZZ AIR BOARD

Airbus's former Americas chief executive, Barry Eccleston, is to take up a position on the board of Central European budget airline Wizz Air. Eccleston will serve as an independent non-executive director for the carrier.He recently stepped down as the head of Airbus Americas, having been in the ...

FIVE AMERICANS SURVIVE AFTER PRIVATE JET BROKE INTO PIECES IN HONDURAS

Four employees of a Texas pawn loan company and two pilots were injured when the private jet they were on crashed and broke apart at a notorious Honduran airport, according to reports.Joe Rotunda, 71, chief operating officer of Austin-based EZCorp, suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung when the ...

LEE COUNTY, FLORIDA ACQUIRES AIRBUS H125S FOR AIRBORNE MOSQUITO CONTROL MISSIONS

Lee County Mosquito Control District in Florida is operating six new Airbus H125 helicopters as part of a major upgrade of its aircraft fleet. The new aircraft are being used to support aerial spraying to control the mosquito population in the roughly 1,000 square-mile district in southwest Florida,...

UNITED AIRLINES CFO LEVY RESIGNS

United Airlines chief financial officer Andrew Levy has resigned in a surprise move that may signal tensions at the top of the fourth biggest US airline by passenger numbers. Levy confirmed his resignation in a LinkedIn post saying he resigned on Monday May 14. He said that since his arrival at Unit...

NATS INVESTS IN AIREON TO BOOST GLOBAL AVIATION SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY

The UK air traffic management service provider, NATS, has announced it has invested in Aireon, the company pioneering a space-based air traffic surveillance service set to revolutionise the aviation industry. Through a network of 66 low earth orbiting Iridium NEXT satellites, Aireon will monitor the...

VIRGIN LAUNCHES NEW FLIGHTS TO LAS VEGAS, BOSTON, BARBADOS

Virgin Atlantic has today announced plans to launch flights to Las Vegas (LAS) from London-Heathrow (LHR), effective on March 31, 2019. These new flights to LAS are being transferred from London-Gatwick (LGW) to LHR’s Terminal 3, in which Virgin has a significant presence. The LGW flight used ...

JORDAN DISPLAYS NEW, UPGRADED AIRCRAFT AT SOFEX SHOW

Spurred partly by the crisis in Syria, with which Jordan shares a long border, and partly by a need to replace and upgrade ageing types, the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) is in the process of receiving new or upgraded aircraft. At the biennial SOFEX special forces show held last week at Amman&rsq...

VISION-BOX INSTALLS BIOMETRIC GATES AT EZEIZA AIRPORT

Security solution provider Vision-Box has installed its biometric Automated Border Control (ABC) gates at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The new biometric gates will automate and modernise the clearance and border passage of Argentinian citizens entering the country through...

EMIRATES FULL-YEAR PROFIT REBOUNDS DESPITE CONTINUING PRESSURES

Emirates Group has turned in a full-year profit of Dhs4.1 billion ($1.1 billion), including a profit of Dhs2.8 billion for the Emirates airline division. The group profit, for the year ending 31 March 2018, is up by two-thirds on the previous annual figure – which had been badly affected, the ...

LUFTHANSA TO ORDER UP TO 16 AIRBUS, BOEING AIRCRAFT

Lufthansa said it will order up to 16 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, with a value of EUR€2.1 billion (USD$2.5 billion) at list prices if all options are taken up. The Lufthansa group board approved the orders at a meeting on Monday, with deliveries to be completed by 2022, the airline said.Si...

LOUIS BERGER WINS CONTRACT FOR PALMA DE MALLORCA AIRPORT EXPANSION

A joint venture (JV) between Louis Berger and Spain-based Samosa has secured a €14m ($17.3m) contract from airport operator Aena to provide project management services for the expansion of Palma de Mallorca International Airport in Baleares Islands, Spain. The expansion is set to enhance the ai...

WIZZ AIR GETS UK OPERATING LICENSE, LAUNCHES FIRST FLIGHT

Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air has received its British Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) and operating license from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, as it continues its preparation for the country’s exit from the European Union.
Wizz Air UK is based at London’s ...

US APPROVES AH-1Z ATTACK HELICOPTER SALE TO BAHRAIN

The US Department of State has approved the possible sale of 12 Bell AH-1Z attack helicopters to Bahrain. Worth an estimated $911 million, including training and support services, the deal is being concluded under the Foreign Military Sales process. Munitions including Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfi...

FAA EXTENDS CFM56-7B ENGINE INSPECTIONS

The US FAA has published a new emergency airworthiness directive for the inspection of fan blades on CFM56-7B engines, bringing it into line with European safety regulators.
The new directive covers engines of the type involved in the fatal accident on a Southwest Airlines flight last month. ...

HAINAN AIRLINES PLANS STRONG INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION FROM HAINAN

Hainan Airlines plans to launch more than 40 international routes out of Hainan over the next five years, following China’s new policy to build the island as a free trade port. Earlier this month, Beijing also announced a 30-day visa-free policy for citizens from 59 countries into Hainan, to b...

HARTSFIELD-JACKSON AIRPORT INSTALLS AEDS FOR CARDIAC PATIENTS

Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in the US has installed a Cardiac Science G5 automated external defibrillator (AED) for every 75ft in all of its terminals, totalling to 285 devices across the airport. The project is intended to cater to the passengers experiencing sudden cardiac events in the airport, wh...

NORWEGIAN YET TO DETERMINE IMPACT FROM 787 ENGINE CHECKS

Budget carrier Norwegian has yet to ascertain the degree of potential disruption from a revised inspection regime on Boeing 787 engines. The carrier operates 787s fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 powerplants, which have been undergoing examination by operators as a result of blade durability probl...

DELTA AND KOREAN AIR TO LAUNCH PARTNERSHIP ON 1 MAY

Delta Air Lines and Korean Air will launch their planned joint venture on 1 May, meeting the tight deadline they set for implementation less than a month ago. The SkyTeam Alliance carriers will launch the immunised partnership on routes between Asia and the USA, and beyond points in both regions, a ...

GULFSTREAM TO BUILD MRO FACILITY AT SAVANNAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Gulfstream Aerospace is set to build a new maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at its existing site in Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in the US. The $55m facility will expand the present Gulfstream site at the airport and will help the company to provide better maintenance an...

GROUPE ADP TAKES CONTROL OF AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL GROUP FOR $265M

French airport operator Groupe ADP has acquired exclusive control of Airport International Group (AIG), a concessionary of Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) located in Amman, Jordan, for a total valuation of $265m. Infrastructures investment funds Meridiam and IDB Infrastructure Fund II. Edgo ...

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS TO CONTINUE

Southwest Airlines expects more flight cancellations this week as it continues inspections of Boeing 737 engines of the type involved in last week’s fatal incident. The Dallas-based low-cost carrier cancelled “about 40 flights” on Sunday and over a hundred Monday out of a schedule ...

STL AIRPORT IN US EXPANDS SECURITY CHECKPOINTS

  St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) in the US has expanded its security checkpoints in Terminal 2 to accommodate increased passenger screenings. Last year, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported a 5.5% rise in passenger screenings at the airport’s Termi...

ALASKA AIRLINES TAPS STG AEROSPACE TO SUPPORT CABIN REBRANDING

Alaska Airlines has signed an agreement with STG Aerospace to deploy its photoluminescent emergency floor path marking system across 116 aircraft within the airline’s fleet. The aircraft cabin lighting technology company is set to install its STG Aerospace’s saf-Tglo SSUL photoluminescen...

UK RE-FORMS 617 SQN FOR F-35B ERA

The Royal Air Force's 617 Sqn – the UK's first frontline unit to field the Lockheed Martin F-35B – has been officially re-formed during a ceremony in Washington DC. Staffed by a mix of RAF and Royal Navy pilots and support personnel, lead elements of 617 Sqn are currently involve...

COLOMBIA AVIATION: TAXATION TO HURT NATIONAL COMPETITIVE STATURE

Colombia’s domestic passenger levels fell in 2017, driven in part by a pilot strike at the country’s largest airline Avianca. But the country has posted impressive growth in its domestic air travel market during the past seven years, with passenger levels expanding by more than 60% from ...

USAF TO FLY THE B-52 INTO THE 2050S WITH NEW ENGINES, RADARS

The U.S. Air Force has finally decided to fund a re-engining of the B-52H bomber and has described a plan to keep the fleet of 76 jets in service until at least 2050. The fleet will also receive new radars. The service now plans to retire the much younger but costly-to-operate B-1 and B-2 stealth bo...

AIX: ASTRONICS GAINS STC FOR NEW SATCOM ANTENNA SYSTEM

US manufacturer Astronics has received supplemental type certificate for its latest satellite antenna and “AeroShield” radome to provide passenger connectivity on Boeing 737NGs. Matthew Harrah, president of the Astronics’s AeroSat division, says the STC covers 737-800s and -900s, a...

JETEX AND WRIGHT ELECTRIC PARTNER TO SUPPORT ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT MARKET

Dubai-based flight support company Jextex has announced the signing of a partnership with US start-up Wright Electric that will see the two companies collaborate in supporting electric aircraft for short haul flights. As part of the partnership, Jetex and Wright will collaborate on producing the fir...

VISTAJET AND WEALTH-X RELEASE REPORT ON HNW JET USERS

Only the super-wealthy (individuals and companies), often meaning those with more than $1 billion in net assets, own their own jets, according to a recent report by Wealth-X for jet operator VistaJet. “The Jet Traveler Report: The Global Perspective on Who Flies Privately and How” also c...

AIX: DESIGN COMPANY AIMS TO BANISH FEAR OF FLYING WITH DIGITAL COMPANION

Airline passengers of a nervous disposition could soon benefit from a newly-conceived digital travel companion that can anticipate anxiety triggers and provide personalised coping techniques to help keep their fears at bay throughout their flight. The Kite app is the brainchild of design company Sma...

BOEING F/A-18 SUPER HORNET PRODUCTION LINE BUSY UNTIL 2025

In a swift reversal of fortunes, Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet production line now has a seven-year backlog after nearly expiring two years ago due to a lack of orders. In March, Kuwait ordered 22 F/A-18E and six F/A-18F Super Hornets for delivery through 202, with options for 12 more. During the...

MAJOR EXERCISE CANCELED AFTER MILITARY GROUNDS US AIRCRAFT IN DJIBOUTI

The U.S. Navy has temporarily grounded military flights in Djibouti and cancelled a major exercise days after it began following two aviation accidents there this week. Naval Forces Central Command on Thursday put air operations "on hold" and called off the remainder of the Defense Departm...

BLACKHAWK SECURES CANADIAN APPROVAL FOR KING AIR 350 ENGINE UPGRADE

US engineering company and aftermarket specialist Blackhawk Modifications has received Canadian supplemental type certification for its XP67A engine upgrade on the Beechcraft King Air 350 and is preparing to begin work on the first retrofit for a local customer. The upgrade replaces the type's 1...

AIR LEASE CORPORATION SIGN ORDER FOR EIGHT BOEING 737 MAX AIRPLANES

The aircraft lessor, Air Lease Corporation (ALC), finalized a $936.8 million order for eight Boeing 737 MAX 8. ALC has a tight relationship with the US-based manufacturer as it has been a big buyer of 737 aircraft throughout its history. This new order raises its total 737 MAX orders to 138. “...

FIRST FLIGHT AFTER OVERHAULED ENGINE INSTALLED GOES BADLY

The sports pilot/mechanic reported that the accident happened on the first flight in the experimental, amateur-built Ginny B after he installed an overhauled engine. About 30 minutes after takeoff, the engine experienced a sudden and total loss of power and would not restart. The pilot conducted a f...

US NAVY REMOTELY LANDS F/A-18 SUPER HORNET ON CARRIER DECK

Naval officers aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln demonstrated for the first time the ability to remotely take control of an aircraft and land it on an aircraft carrier’s deck. Using the ATARI system, or aircraft terminal approach remote inceptor, landing signal officers demonstrated remote piloti...

EASYJET ANNOUNCES BERLIN EXPANSION AND NEW LONG-HAUL LINK-UPS

EasyJet Europe, the sister airline set up to preserve easyJet after Brexit, has accelerated its growth by announcing a rapid expansion in Berlin and new long-haul connections at Paris and Amsterdam. The easyJet chief executive, Johan Lundgren, said: “There’s no doubt that the growth pote...

US NAVY PLANS TO MODIFY 45 MORE SUPER HORNETS

The US Navy plans to modify 45 more Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in the next two years to increase the aircraft’s service life and capabilities, the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced on 27 March. The potential contract will cover modifications to up to 15 aircraft in fiscal yea...

NASA PARTNERS WITH THALES IN PUSH FOR DRONE AIRSPACE MANAGEMENT

NASA has formally brought Thales on board in its effort to develop an unmanned air vehicle traffic management (UTM) system that can be handed over to the US Federal Aviation Administration in 2019. Under this Space Act Agreement, Thales will collaborate with NASA to research, develop, test and evalu...

AHEAD OF HISTORIC FIRST 787-10 DELIVERY, BOEING GIVES UPDATE ON 787 PROGRAM & SOUTH CAROLINA FACILITY

The morning of the first 787-10 Dreamliner delivery to launch customer Singapore Airlines, Boeing gave an update on the 787 programs as an extended tour around their facility in Charleston, South Carolina. Having previously been to Charleston on a factory visit, we wanted to see what progress had be...

KITTY HAWK UNVEILS CORA AIRCRAFT FOR EVTOL AIR TAXI MARKET

A privately funded company backed by a Google co-founder has revealed details of an eight-year-old project to develop an electric air taxi named Cora that has moved to New Zealand for flight testing and early commercial operations.The Cora vehicle unveiled by California-based Kitty Hawk on 12 March ...

USAF CRITICISES BOEING ON NEW KC-46 DELAY CONCERNS

Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson heavily criticised Boeing for what she believes will be further delivery delays of KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tankers during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on 20 March.The USAF had expected Boeing to deliver the first KC-46 by the end of 2017....

ANALYSIS: US AIR FORCE PUSHES GLOBAL HAWK UPGRADES ON 20TH ANNIVERSARY

If an aircraft's first flight is successful, the only excitement is on the ground and never in the air. So it was on 28 February 1998, with the first take-off of the Ryan Aeronautical Global Hawk – a futuristic-looking demonstrator described by three key adjectives: unmanned, jet-powered a...

THAI TECHNICAL HOPES TO WIN 20% OF REGIONAL MRO WORK

Thai Airways’ MRO arm, Thai Technical, hopes to incorporate its U-Tapao-based joint venture MRO with Airbus by the first quarter of 2020, for launch in 2022.Speaking to FlightGlobal, Thai Technical’s director of MRO strategy and business development Wilarp Thonglaxsanawong adds that feas...

ANALYSIS: US AIR FORCE PUSHES GLOBAL HAWK UPGRADES ON 20TH ANNIVERSARY

If an aircraft's first flight is successful, the only excitement is on the ground and never in the air. So it was on 28 February 1998, with the first take-off of the Ryan Aeronautical Global Hawk – a futuristic-looking demonstrator described by three key adjectives: unmanned, jet-powered a...

ANA DECLINES COMMENT ON POSSIBLE PEACH, VANILLA MERGER

ANA Holdings has declined to comment on a report of a possible merger between its low-cost units Peach and Vanilla Air.Nikkei Asian Review had said in a 17 March report that the holding company has decided to merge the two carriers by 2020 to better compete in the Asian airline market and to tackle ...

SMARTLYNX A320 ENGINES SHUT DOWN AFTER TOUCH-AND-GO IMPACT

Estonian investigators have indicated that both engines on a SmartLynx Airbus A320 shut down as it conducted an emergency approach after suffering damage during a touch-and-go exercise.The aircraft had been engaged in a training flight at Tallinn on 28 February, with seven occupants including an ins...

HAINAN AIRLINES TO BEGIN DUBLIN, EDINBURGH FLIGHTS

The carrier will operate Beijing-Edinburgh-Dublin and Beijing-Dublin-Edinburgh on a twice-weekly basis for each service.Earlier this month, the airline had announced that it will begin thrice-weekly Changsha-London Heathrow services on 23 March.FlightGlobal schedules data shows that the airline will...

PACIFIC AEROSPACE LAUNCHES SUPER-PAC XL SINGLE-ENGINED TURBOPROP

New Zealand’s Pacific Aerospace has launched a new variant of its P-750 XSTOL single-engined turboprop, featuring more power, range, and a faster rate of climb.Called the Super-Pac XL, the aircraft is designed as a challenger to the Supervan 900  a re-engined version of the Cessna 208 Car...

UNITED PILOTS UNION OPPOSES MORE LARGE JETS AT REGIONAL PARTNERS

Pilots at United Airlines are striking back at the carrier's push to add more large regional jets at its partners, arguing that growth targets can be met within existing limits."[United] doesn’t need scope relief and has the ability to accomplish our growth strategy today," said ...

HAINAN AIRLINES TO TAKE OVER HNA STAKES IN SEVEN BUSINESSES

Hainan Airlines will take over the HNA Group’s stakes in two domestic airlines, MRO providers SR Technics and HNA Aviation Technology, and three other businesses as part of the distressed group’s ongoing asset re-organisation.Hainan says it will assume controlling stakes in West Air, Gui...

TURKISH AIRLINES CONFIRMS MASSIVE AIRBUS A350, BOEING 787-9 ORDER

Turkish Airlines confirmed a sizeable order of 60 widebody Boeing and Airbus planes today. The Istanbul-based carrier will reconstruct its long-haul fleet with the addition of 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and 30 Airbus A350-900s.The airline will start receiving its first six planes next year, followi...

UNITED 777 LOST COWLING DUE TO FAN BLADE 'SEPARATION': NTSB

Separation of an engine fan blade caused a United Airlines Boeing 777-200 enroute to Honolulu to lose its engine cowling on 13 February, according to a preliminary report released 5 March by the US National Transportation Safety Board.The new information reveals that the incident involved more than ...

VIRGIN CANCELS LONG-DORMANT A380 ORDER

Virgin Atlantic has finally cancelled its order for six Airbus A380s, the airframer's latest backlog data shows.Airbus has listed a cancellation of six of the double-deck type in its figures covering the first two months of this year.Virgin Atlantic had six A380s on order, but Airbus no longer l...

AIRBUS LAUNCHES THREE-MONTH US SALES TOUR FOR H160

Airbus has launched a three-month sales tour with the second prototype of the H160 as the medium-twin programme moves closer to first delivery early next year.The sales tour with demonstration flights moves the H160 begins three years after Airbus launched the programme and seven years after the ori...

EMBRAER STUDIES SMALLER SIBLING FOR E2 FAMILY

Embraer has signalled its interest in developing a commercial aircraft smaller than its current E-Jet E2 family, which spans the range from 80 to 146 seats.Rodrigo Silva e Souza, marketing vice-president at Embraer Commercial Aviation, confirmed during a briefing at the Brazilian company's Sao J...

BBAM ENTITIES TO BUY AIRASIA’S AIRCRAFT LEASING PORTFOLIO

AirAsia has chosen to sell the aircraft portfolio of its Asia Aviation Capital unit to entities managed by BBAM in a $1.18 billion deal.Under the deal, FLY Leasing, Incline B Aviation and Nomura Babcock and Brown will together acquire 84 Airbus A320s and 14 engines from Asia Aviation Capital, with t...

THOMAS COOK DOWNPLAYS RISK OF POST-BREXIT OWNERSHIP BREAK-UP

Thomas Cook's chief airline officer Christoph Debus is hopeful that the pan-European leisure group can find an alternative to being broken up if post-Brexit operational continuity requires changes to its status as a majority UK-owned company.Speaking to FlightGlobal on 26 February, Debus noted t...

AIR NZ TARGETING 777-200 REPLACEMENT FROM 2022

Air New Zealand is looking to options to replace its eight Boeing 777-200ERs from 2022. The Star Alliance carrier disclosed that it has started the evaluation in an investor presentation following the release of its results for the six months to the end of December 2017.While it did not indicate how...

OR TAMBO AIRPORT’S FBO TERMINAL WELCOMES FIRST INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

Fireblade Aviation has announced that the company’s fixed-base operations (FBO) terminal at OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa has welcomed its first international flight. The FBO has been developed as a private air terminal in order to meet the requirements of VIP and VVIP travell...

BOEING PARTNERS OERLIKON TO SPEED UP ADOPTION OF 3D PRINTING

Boeing is co-operating with Swiss engineering group Oerlikon to jointly develop additive manufacturing processes in a bid to accelerate the technology's wider employment. Oerlikon says it signed a five-year collaboration agreement with the US airframer to create "standard materials and proc...

TRUMP 'A FRIEND DESPITE FRICTION': QATAR AIRWAYS CHIEF

Akbar Al Baker sees US president Donald Trump as a "friend of mine and of Qatar" but expects that there will "always be a little bit of friction". The Qatar Airways chief executive's comments came weeks after the governments of the USA and Qatar signed an agreement that appea...

SARATOV AIRLINES TO RESTORE AN-148 OPERATIONS

Saratov Airlines is to resume operations with Antonov An-148s, days after suspending flights with the type in the wake of the fatal accident in Moscow. The Russian carrier – one of only two airlines in the country using An-148s – is to return the twinjet to its network on 16 February aft...

AIRBUS INCURS €1.3BN CHARGE FOR DELAY IN DELIVERING MILITARY TRANSPORT PLANES

Airbus has taken a new €1.3bn (£1.1bn) charge on its troubled A400M military aircraft programme – taking its total losses on the project to €8bn. The charge was the outcome of talks with seven European Nato-member governments awaiting overdue deliveries. The project has faced n...

CSERIES ENGINES NOT AFFLICTED WITH PW1100G ISSUES

Bombardier and Pratt & Whitney confirm that CSeries' PW1500G geared turbofans have not been afflicted with engine issues that recently grounded dozens of Airbus A320neo-family aircraft. "Pratt & Whitney has informed us that the issue identified on the PW1100G-JM engine does not appe...

THOMAS COOK RESUMES UK FLIGHTS TO TUNISIA AFTER SOUSSE ATTACK

Thomas Cook has resumed flights from the UK to Tunisia for the first time since 2015, when 30 Britons were killed in the Sousse beach attack. About 220 holidaymakers flew from Birmingham to Enfidha airport with the tour operator on Tuesday, with the same number boarding a flight from Manchester late...

SARATOV AIRLINES AN-148 CRASHES OUTSIDE MOSCOW

A Saratov Airlines An-148 regional jet en route to Orsk crashed not long after taking off from Moscow’s Domodedovo airport on 11 February, the Russian government says. The twin-engined Antonov, that typically seats between 65-84 passengers, came down near Ramenskoye, a distant Moscow suburb of...

MUNICH PROSECUTOR FINES AIRBUS TO CONCLUDE BRIBERY INVESTIGATION

Airbus has agreed to pay a $99.5 million (€81.25 million) fine to conclude a six-year-old investigation by the Munich Public Prosecutor into allegations of bribery involving a 2003 sale of Eurofighter Typhoons to Austria, the company announced on 9 February. The settlement allows Airbus to reso...

HONDA AIRCRAFT SECURES DEAL FOR 16 HONDAJETS FROM FRANCE'S WIJET

While 470 Mustangs were built over its 12-year production run, Flight Fleets Analyser shows a year-on-year slide in deliveries, from a peak of 128 units in 2009 to only eight in 2015. Cessna recorded seven Mustang shipments in the first half of 2017.

Speaking on the sidelines of the S...

AIRBUS TO OFFER A320NEO TO MILITARY CUSTOMERS

Airbus could begin competing head-to-head with the Boeing 737 in the large commercial derivatives market, offering the A320neo for roles such as armed maritime patrol and airborne early warning. The company announced at the Singapore Air Show on Feb. 7 that the A320neo (new engine option) is being c...

VAHANA EVTOL AIRCRAFT COMPLETES FIRST FULL-SCALE TEST FLIGHT

Vahana, the all-electric, self-piloted, VTOL aircraft from A³ by Airbus, has announced the successful completion of its first full-scale flight test, reaching a height of 16 feet before descending safely. The test was completed at 8:52 AM Pacific on January 31, 2018, at the Pendleton UAS Range ...

SIA TAPS NEW GENERATION AIRCRAFT FOR NETWORK GROWTH

Speaking on a panel at the Singapore air show Aviation Leadership Summit, Goh says that aircraft such as the Airbus A350 has allowed SIA to launch routes that were previously not commercially viable. These include services to Dusseldorf and Stockholm, as well as the carrier's planned ultra-long-...

BREXIT IS 'EXTREMELY UNFORTUNATE' FOR THE REGION'S AVIATION INDUSTRY, SAYS THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

The United Kingdom and the European Union are still negotiating final divorce terms, but there is "absolutely no doubt" that Brexit will negatively affect the region's aviation industry, the European Commission said Monday. "Brexit is extremely unfortunate and it will have a negat...

MERIDIANA TO LAUNCH NEW MILAN – MIAMI FLIGHTS

Italian carrier, Meridiana, announced a new service to Miami International Airport (MIA), which is set to begin on June 8. The four weekly flights will depart Milan on a “refurbished” 247-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft, aiming to compete against American Airlines (AA) and Alitalia (AZ), o...

SINGAPORE AIR TO BOOST DIGITAL INNOVATION

Singapore Airlines has announced plans to boost its digital capabilities in partnership with government departments and the National University of Singapore. The airline’s Digital Innovation Blueprint is part of an ongoing transformation that will help it “increase effectiveness and effi...

A321 CHECKED FOR DRONE STRIKE AFTER HEATHROW ENCOUNTER

UK investigators have disclosed that an Airbus A321 was checked for damage at London Heathrow after a drone encounter so close that the crew initially believed it had struck the jet. The A321 had been conducting its approach to runway 27L on 27 October last year, according to the UK Airprox Board. I...

NELLIS BLAZE DAMAGES AUSTRALIAN EA-18G GROWLER

Both crew members of a Royal Australian Air Force Boeing EA-18G Growler escaped serious injury when their aircraft caught fire at Nellis AFB, Nevada on 27 January. Confirming the incident via a Twitter post, Australian defence minister Marise Payne said it had occurred "on the runway during tak...

UNITED PAUSES FLEET UPGAUGING WITH 50-SEATER ADDITIONS

United Airlines is hitting pause on its fleet upgauging programme in 2018, as it plans the "temporary" addition of 40 Bombardier CRJ200s to support growth. The Chicago-based carrier will add 40 CRJ200s operated by Air Wisconsin and one Embraer ERJ-145 to its feeder fleet this year, a fleet...

ITC DELAYS CSERIES TRADE VOTE UNTIL 26 JANUARY

The US International Trade Commission has postponed by one day its planned vote on whether Bombardier's sale of CS100s to Delta Air Lines in 2016 caused harm to Boeing. The four-member trade panel in Washington DC will now vote on the matter on 26 January at 14:30. The ITC delayed the vote due t...

BOEING 787-10 DREAMLINER CLEARED FOR SERVICE

Boeing has received amended type certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration for the 787-10 Dreamliner, clearing the aircraft for commercial service. The 787-10 is a stretched version of the 290-seat 787-9. It is just over five metres (18 feet) longer than its smaller sister and can se...

BRAZIL SIGNS OPTION FOR THIRD SAR-ROLED C295

Brazil has exercised a contract option that will lead to it operating a three-strong fleet of Airbus Defence & Space C295 search and rescue (SAR) aircraft by 2020. Signed at the end of last year, the update "constitutes the firming of an option included in an earlier contract in 2014",...

ETIHAD SHRUGS OFF A330 FREIGHTER INACTIVITY

Etihad Airways is shrugging off the apparent inactivity of half its dedicated freighter fleet, insisting that the situation is part of a normal review of capacity requirements. Flight Fleets Analyzer indicates that Etihad Cargo's five A330-200Fs have been put into storage. At least two of the fi...

BOMBARDIER PROGRESSING WITH ALABAMA CSERIES SITE PLANS

Bombardier has already made "significant" progress towards opening an Alabama CSeries final assembly site that will closely resemble the company's Mirabel assembly facility. "Bombardier… is moving ahead posthaste, obtaining regulatory approvals, conducting site visits and p...

FRONTIER AND VOLARIS TO LAUNCH CODESHARE

Frontier Airlines and Volaris have signed a codeshare agreement, with sales to begin in the coming months. The two-way codeshare, subject to regulatory approval, will allow the two airlines to add 20 new destinations, says Volaris chief executive Enrique Beltranena. He estimates that 80 new routes w...

SABENA TECHNICS TO BUILD TOULOUSE WIDEBODY PAINT LINE

Airbus has engaged French maintenance specialist Sabena Technics to build a fourth aircraft painting facility at the airframer's production line in Toulouse. Sabena Technics says the site will be dedicated to painting long-haul aircraft and is to become operational in 2019, with construction sch...

EUROPEAN BUSINESS JET CHARTER INDUSTRY ON THE RISE

The pair forecast that this surge is set to continue, triggered by the introduction of new aircraft programmes and an explosion in innovative new operators and user-friendly technologies are helping to make business aviation more accessible and affordable. According to WingX, business jets flew aabo...

DARPA COMPLETES SECOND PHASE OF SWARMING DEMO

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has completed the second phase of its collaborative control technology for unmanned air systems demonstration, the next step in an effort to orchestrate swarms of legacy UAS with the hand of a single human operator. Lockheed Martin and Raytheon collabora...

US AIRLINES POST IMPROVED ON-TIME PERFORMANCE

US airlines had a good month in November for on-time performance and cancellations, with the on-time arrival rate the highest since the downturn following the global financial crisis in 2009.
The Department of Transportation reported the overall on-time arrival rate of 88.3 percent was up fro...

GKN TO REORGANISE AFTER REJECTING TAKEOVER BID

UK aerostructures manufacturer GKN has rejected a takeover bid from turnaround specialist Melrose Industries and disclosed a plan to separate its aerospace and automotive activities as part of a two-year business-improvement plan. GKN says Melrose's "preliminary and unsolicited" offer ...

ALASKA, VIRGIN AMERICA GRANTED SINGLE OPERATING CERTIFICATE

Alaska Airlines and Virgin America have received a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration as the integration of the carriers continues. Alaska completed its takeover of Virgin America in December 2016 but said there would be no immediate differences for passengers flyi...

PASSENGER TRAFFIC DEMAND STRONGEST FOR FIVE MONTHS

Global air travel demand rose 8.0 percent in November, the fastest growth rate in five months, IATA reported in its monthly update. Regionally, Asia Pacific returned the biggest increase during the month, with an 11.3 percent rise in revenue passenger kms. Europe grew by a healthy 7.9 percent, with ...

DASSAULT DETAILS RAFALE ORDER BACKLOG

Dassault ended last year with a firm order backlog for 101 Rafales, after delivering nine of the type during 2017. In a financial overview released on 8 January, the airframer says it shipped eight Rafales to Egypt and a single example to the French air force last year, in line with its planning exp...

SAFRAN NAMES TASK LEADER FOR ZODIAC INTEGRATION

Safran has named its transmission systems chief, Helene Moreau-Leroy, to lead the integration of Zodiac Aerospace. The appointment follows the European Commission's unconditional approval of the tie-up. Safran says Moreau-Leroy will prepare Zodiac's integration which will be implemented foll...

ALLEGIANT TO ADD TWO NEW DESTINATIONS

Allegiant Air will add two new destinations to its network: Charleston (South Carolina) and Sarasota (Florida). The Las Vegas-based airline will serve Charleston seasonally from Pittsburgh on 4 April, Cincinnati from 5 April and Indianapolis from 6 April. It will operate year-round to Sarasota from ...

CHINA RELAXES CONTROL ON DOMESTIC FARE PRICING

China has lifted some controls on domestic airfares, giving airlines greater freedom in how they price tickets on more than 300 routes. On routes where there are more than five players, fares shall be subject to market forces, says the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Any fare increase on a g...

UNITED UPS 757 DENSITY WITH NEW SLIMLINE SEATS

United Airlines will retrofit its Boeing 757-300 fleet with slimline seats by the middle of 2018, increasing the number of economy seats on the aircraft to more than 200. The Chicago-based carrier will add 20 seats to the economy cabin on the aircraft for a total of 210 seats, a notice to pilots on ...

SINGLE ENGINE FAILURE DAMAGES FIVE E-8C JSTARS

An engine failure caused damage on 21 December to five E-8C JSTARS aircraft, or nearly one-third of the fleet of aerial ground surveillance aircraft, the US Air Force says. Three of the five damaged aircraft returned to flight status at Warner Robins AFB, Georgia within three days, and a fourth airc...

GE COMPLETES FIRST GROUND TEST OF ADVANCED TURBOPROP ENGINE

GE Aviation completed the first test run of the new Advanced Turboprop engine in Prague on 22 December, crossing a key milestone in the company’s long-term strategy to compete in a market long dominated by Pratt & Whitney Canada. The first ground test keeps the 1,240shp Advanced Turboprop ...

SUPPLIER SELECTION NEARS FOR RUSSIAN-CHINESE CR929

Developers of a joint Russian-Chinese long-haul aircraft expect to select suppliers over the next year to 18 months, after the project passed a technical concept checkpoint. Russia's United Aircraft says the project's board has approved the clearance of the 'Gate 2' development stage...

AIR BERLIN JETS HELP DRIVE EASYJET EUROPE EXPANSION

Low-cost carrier EasyJet's new European operation has surpassed the size of the airline's Swiss division having taken its fleet to 28 jets. EasyJet Europe has 25 Airbus A320s and three A319s, according to Flight Fleets Analyzer. The Vienna-based operation was established earlier this year in...

PEGASUS FIRMS OPTIONS ON 25 A321NEOS

Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines is to exercise options for 25 more Airbus A321neos. Pegasus says the options supplemented a firm order for 75 A320neo-family aircraft placed in 2012, and that exercising them will take the overall order to 100. The 25 firmed options comprise five A321neos to...

EMBRAER AND BOEING CONFIRM MERGER TALKS

Boeing and Embraer have confirmed they are in talks for a "potential combination", following a Wall Street Journal report that Boeing is in discussions to take over the Brazilian airframer. "There is no guarantee a transaction will result from these discussions. Boeing and Embraer do ...

BOEING HELD TALKS WITH EMBRAER ON TAKEOVER: WSJ REPORT

Such a move would further reshape a regional jet market in flux since Boeing filed an anti-dumping and countervailing duty complaint against Bombardier with the US Department of Commerce last May. A preliminary determination in September by Commerce officials – and finalised two days ago &ndas...

COMMERCE DEPARTMENT SIDES WITH BOEING ON CSERIES TARIFF

The US Commerce Department announced on 20 December that Bombardier CS100s ordered by Delta Air Lines could face a 292.21% tariff if they cross into the USA in a partially or fully assembled state. The agency’s upheld the final tariff value after releasing a preliminary estimate in September, ...

CATHAY PACIFIC FIRMS WASHINGTON DULLES PLANS

Cathay Pacific Airways will add Washington Dulles International airport to its network in 2018, confirming reports that the US capital would be its next new destination. The Oneworld Alliance carrier will offer four-times weekly service to Dulles from its Hong Kong base with an Airbus A350-1000 from...

DELTA, BOMBARDIER RENEGOTIATING DELIVERY CLAUSE IN CS100 DEAL

Delta Air Lines has asked Bombardier to guarantee all 75 CS100s ordered in April 2016 will be assembled in Mobile, Alabama, instead of Canada, a top airline executive says. The request puts further pressure on Bombardier’s plan to open a second final assembly line in Mobile after consummating ...

LOCKHEED AND AERION TO DEVELOP SUPERSONIC BUSINESS JET

Lockheed Martin has partnered with Aerion to launch a year-long feasibility study of a new configuration of the supersonic AS2 business jet featuring three high-bypass GE Aviation engines, the companies announced on 15 September. The collaboration could lead a production go-ahead for Aerion’s ...

NORWEGIAN AIR ADDS US ROUTES, LONDON SLOTS

Norwegian Air continues it rapid expansion, announcing new US routes and acquiring more landing slots at London’s Gatwick Airport from summer 2018. The airline will add four new routes from the United States to Europe, with two each from New York JFK and Los Angeles LAX. Madrid will be served ...

DELTA PICKS AIRBUS A321NEO IN USD$12.7 BN ORDER

Delta Air Lines has ordered 100 Airbus A321neos in a deal worth USD$12.7 billion at list prices. The purchase agreement, which includes options on another 100 A321neos, will see deliveries start in 2020 and run through to 2023. The A321neo ACF (Airbus Cabin Flex configuration) aircraft will be power...

EASYJET GETS EU APPROVAL FOR AIR BERLIN ASSETS

UK airline easyJet has received unconditional approval from the European Commission for its acquisition of parts of failed German carrier Air Berlin. The Commission said in a statement that the transaction would not adversely affect competition in the EU single market. The EUR€40 million (USD$4...

JET AVIATION LAUNCHES CHARTER OPERATION IN MALTA

Jet Aviation has been awarded an air operator's certificate from the Maltese civil aviation authority, allowing the business aviation services company to provide charter operations in the Mediterranean country using aircraft registered with the local 9H prefix. Malta is the third European countr...

JET AVIATION LAUNCHES CHARTER OPERATION IN MALTA

Jet Aviation has been awarded an air operator's certificate from the Maltese civil aviation authority, allowing the business aviation services company to provide charter operations in the Mediterranean country using aircraft registered with the local 9H prefix. Malta is the third European countr...

EASYJET OUTLINES 20 NEW SUMMER UK ROUTES

EasyJet has detailed plans to add 20 new routes to its UK network next summer across seven different airports. The low-cost carrier says it will start flights from Belfast International to the Isle of Man, Naples and Valencia, from Bristol to Genoa and Seville, from Liverpool to Dalaman, Palermo and...

SPICEJET CONCLUDES SEAPLANE TRIALS

Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet has concluded trials for possible services with the Quest Kodiak aircraft equipped as a seaplane. Over the last six months SpiceJet and Quest owner Setouchi have explored opportunities to provide regional air connectivity to smaller towns and cities in the subcontine...

QATAR FORMALISES DEAL FOR 24 EUROFIGHTERS

Qatar has entered a deal to obtain 24 Eurofighter Typhoon fighters just days after confirming an order for 12 additional Dassault Rafales. BAE Systems, the Eurofighter campaign lead for Qatar, says that the deal is valued a £5 billion ($6.7 billion). Deliveries are to start in late 2022, subje...

AMERICAN AND JETBLUE SEEK EXTRA HAVANA FLIGHTS

American Airlines and JetBlue Airways are seeking additional Havana frequencies, while Delta Air Lines plans to return six weekly frequencies as it cuts service to the Cuban capital from New York. American and JetBlue are the only airlines who amended their applications requesting Havana rights, whi...

​BOEING FLIES FIRST KC-46A TANKER FOR US AIR FORCE

Boeing’s first KC-46A tanker slated for the US Air Force operational fleet made its maiden flight this week, pushing the aircraft closer to a newly-delayed, 2018 delivery. While Boeing has flown six other test articles, the newest 767-2C-based aircraft will be one of the first 18 inducted into...

BOEING OPENS GLOBAL SERVICES R&D LAB IN GERMANY

Boeing has established a research and development facility for digital services at subsidiary Jeppesen's site in Frankfurt. The Digital Aviation & Analytics Lab is part of Boeing's Global Services division – launched earlier this year – and employs around 60 engineers, data s...

AIRBUS, SIEMENS, R-R PLAN HYBRID FLIGHTS BY 2020

Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens have teamed up to demonstrate a flyable hybrid-electric propulsion system on a British Aerospace 146 regional jet by 2020. Under the programme, called "E-Fan X hybrid", the partners will replace the aircraft's number 3 engine with an electrically driven ...

ATSB PROBES AIR NEW ZEALAND 777 DESCENT BELOW MINIMUM ALTITUDE

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating an incident on 18 November where an Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER descended below minimum safe altitude while on approach to land at Brisbane airport. As the aircraft (registered ZK-OKN) was tracking to land on runway 01, it had been ...

EXCURSION DAMAGES NEWLY-DELIVERED STARBOW ATR 72

African regional operator Starbow Airlines' newly-delivered ATR 72-500 has been badly damaged in a departure accident after just a few hours' service with the carrier. The aircraft (9G-SBF) had only been delivered to the carrier on 21 November, under lease from Nordic Aviation Capital, accor...

EXCURSION DAMAGES NEWLY-DELIVERED STARBOW ATR 72

African regional operator Starbow Airlines' newly-delivered ATR 72-500 has been badly damaged in a departure accident after just a few hours' service with the carrier. The aircraft (9G-SBF) had only been delivered to the carrier on 21 November, under lease from Nordic Aviation Capital, accor...

AVOLON FIRMS ORDER FOR 75 737 MAX AIRCRAFT

Avolon has finalised an order for 75 Boeing 737 Max aircraft. This comprises 55 Max 8s and 20 Max 10s, as well as options for another 20 Max 8s. The agreement, first announced as a memorandum of understanding at the Paris air show earlier this year, is valued at $11 billion at list prices.

UNITED ADDS EIGHT ROUTES FROM FOUR HUBS NEXT SPRING

United Airlines will add new service to eight cities from its Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Los Angeles and Newark hubs next spring, including new flights to Elmira in New York. The Star Alliance carrier will add new service to El Paso and Fresno from Chicago O'Hare; Jacksonville from Denver; Kali...

EMIRATES COMMITS TO $15 BILLION 787 ORDER

Emirates announced a commitment to purchase 40 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners in a deal worth USD$15.1 billion at list prices. The commitment was made on the first day of the Dubai Airshow on Sunday. The 787-10, the largest version of Boeing’s Dreamliner family, will be delivered to the UAE airline...

DUBAI: PANASONIC DETAILS FEATURES IN EMIRATES 777 REVAMP

Panasonic Avionics has contributed to the refreshed first-class cabin suites on Emirates' Boeing 777-300ERs with a lightweight modern in-flight entertainment and connectivity system which carries Emirates' signature 'ICE' entertainment platform. Chief executive of the supplier Hideo ...

BOEING SIGNS 300 PLANE DEAL WITH CHINA’S CASC

Boeing and Chinese aircraft lessor CASC have signed an agreement for 300 aircraft, in a deal the US company values at more than USD$37 billion at list prices. The agreement, signed during a ceremony in Beijing in front of Chinese President Xi and US President Trump, includes orders and commitments f...

ALLEGIANT PHASES OUT 757S AND EXITS HAWAII

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air has phased out its final Boeing 757-200s, marking an end to the carrier's Hawaii service. An Allegiant Air spokesperson confirms that the airline's final 757 flight was operated on 28 October between Las Vegas and Honolulu. "Both 757s are retiring as part o...

FEDEX ORDERS 30 ATR 72-600 FREIGHTERS

FedEx Express has ordered 30 ATR 72-600s, to be supplied in a new all-freight configuration.
The ATR 72-600F freighter has a windowless fuselage, a forward large cargo door and a rear upper hinged cargo door. It has a bulk capacity of 74.6 cubic metres and can accommodate up to seven LD3 cont...

START-UP PLANS WORLD AIRWAYS REVIVAL WITH 787S, ULCC MODEL

Serial start-up airline executive Ed Wegel has announced plans to re-launch former widebody freighter operator World Airways as a long-haul passenger carrying airline flying Boeing 787s using an ultra-low-cost model. US-based investment firm 777 Partners acquired the intellectual property of World A...

GERMANY SIGNS FOR P-3C ORION SYSTEM UPGRADE

The German navy will continue operations with its Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft until 2035, with Berlin having signed a $158 million contract for modernisation work to be performed over the next five years. Announced by Lockheed on 1 November, the deal will equip the navy's...

EMIRATES IDENTIFIES INITIAL ROUTES FOR 777 FIRST-CLASS REVAMP

Middle Eastern carrier Emirates is to deploy a new Boeing 777-300ER first-class cabin initially on the Brussels and Geneva routes. The airline is set to unveil the new first-class product at the Dubai air show on 12 November. Emirates will put the cabin into service on 1 December, installed on 777-3...

EMIRATES TAKES DELIVERY OF 100TH A380

Emirates reaffirmed its commitment to the A380 as it took delivery of its 100th aircraft from Airbus on Friday. The handover of the aircraft in its ‘Year of Zayed 2018’ livery took place at Airbus in Hamburg. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, born 100 years ago, was the founding father ...

MC-21 BEGINS FLIGHT-TEST PROGRAMME FROM GROMOV

Irkut has started the flight-test programme with the MC-21-300 from the Gromov institute at Moscow's Zhukovsky airfield. The aircraft undertook a 3h flight on 2 November, the airframer states. It says the tests assessed stability and control at a range of altitudes from 6,000-12,000m (19,700-39,...

BOMBARDIER CUTS CSERIES DELIVERIES, ADDS NEW ORDER

Bombardier reduced its CSeries delivery target for the year, but announced a new order for the aircraft, the first for over 18 months. CSeries deliveries will now be in the 20-22 range, down from 30 as issues with Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan engines continue to impact supply. Deliver...

NEW LONG-RANGE MISSILE PROJECT EMERGES IN US BUDGET

The existence of a two-year-old project to develop a new air-to-air missile capable of intercepting targets at great distances has emerged in US budget documents. The Office of the Secretary Defense (OSD) launched a two-year engineering assessment of a new long-range engagement weapon (LREW) designe...

AIR FREIGHT DEMAND GROWTH CONTINUES TO EASE

Global air freight demand rose 9.2 percent in September, but the rate of growth continues to ease. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in its monthly update that the rate of growth is moderating but is still higher than the five year average of 4.4 percent.

WAVES READIES AIR TAXI SERVICE FOR FORMAL LAUNCH

Air taxi start-up Waves Technologies is gearing up for its formal inauguration in mid-November, having completed what it calls a “very successful soft launch” with family, friends and targeted local businesses. Waves received its air operator's certificate from Guernsey's Directo...

AIRBUS Q3 STILL AFFECTED BY A320 ENGINE ISSUE

Airbus reported a jump in third quarter net profit to EUR€348 million (USD$404 million), mainly driven by positive foreign exchange effects. Q3 pre-tax earnings dropped 4 percent to €697 million on revenues up 2 percent to €14.24 billion. Of that increase, commercial aircraft accounte...

USAF STILL EXAMINING JSTARS RECAP CANCELLATION

The US Air Force has missed a self-imposed late October deadline for deciding the fate of a threatened plan to recapitalise the Northrop Grumman E-8C JSTARS fleet. The service has considered stepping away from a plan that would replace the E-8C JSTARS fleet with a new business jet and instead explor...

DELTA INTERNATIONAL 747 DRAWDOWN ENTERS FINAL CHAPTER

Delta Air Lines begins the final chapter in the drawdown of its international Boeing 747-400 fleet with the introduction of the Airbus A350-900 today. The new Airbus aircraft enters service operating flight DL275 from Detroit to Tokyo Narita today. A 747 operated the flight yesterday.

US FINES COMPASS FOR FAILING TO PROVIDE WEATHER DATA