NewsRussian Crash Pilot Pushed Plane Into NosediveThe pilot of an airliner that crashed near the Russian city of Kazan killing 50 people had pushed the steering column to pitch it into a nosedive, crash investigators said on Tuesday, citing data recorder analysis. The Interstate Aviation Committee, which oversees civil aviation in the former Soviet Union, offered no explanation why the pilot of the Boeing 737 might have performed the manoeuvre, at a height of 700 metres, after aborting a first attempt to land. Aksan Giniyatullin, chief executive of Tatarstan Airlines which operated the jet, told a news conference: "The lead pilot had never made a second landing attempt under real flight conditions."
LinkCrashed 737 pushed into dive during go-aroundInitial flight-data recorder analysis indicates that the pilots of the Tatarstan Boeing 737-500 which crashed at Kazan pushed the aircraft into a steep dive after the jet pitched up during a go-around. Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee states that the crew engaged go-around thrust after assessing the aircraft’s position relative to the runway. The autopilot was disconnected and the aircraft flown manually. As the engines increased power the crew retracted the 737’s flaps from the 30° position to 15°. But the thrust from the underwing engines pitched the aircraft nose-up, and it climbed at a pitch of 25°. This led the airspeed to bleed away from 150kt to 125kt, says the inquiry.
LinkEmirates 'Could Have Done Another 10' A380sEmirates' order for 50 Airbus A380s should end doubts about the project, with Emirates president Tim Clark saying the airline was so sure of filling the planes it might have bought 10 more. By announcing a USD$23 billion A380 order at the Dubai Airshow, Emirates turned round the fortunes of a recently slow-selling aircraft that is synonymous with the rapid growth of its largest customer. "For us the A380 is the future. And we don't like anyone talking about it not being around," Mr Clark said in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday.
LinkBrussels Airlines Pilots Suspend StrikePilots at Brussels Airlines suspended a strike on Tuesday after a second day of flight disruption brought concessions from the Belgian carrier. The pilots have contested the airline's decision to enforce retirement at the age of 58, along with issues such as the distribution of annual leave and pension contributions. The airline, in which Lufthansa owns a 45 percent stake, cancelled 40 round trip flights on Tuesday mainly to and from European destinations, though services to New York and Nairobi were also affected. On Monday, 49 return flights were cancelled.
LinkDelta equips pilots with Microsoft Surface 2 tabletsDelta Air Lines announced plans to equip some of its pilots with Microsoft Surface 2 tablets in January. “Delta has long been evaluating the different tablet devices that are on the market. It became apparent that the Surface 2 tablet gave us functionality above and beyond just an added electronic flight bag,” said a spokesman for Delta.
LinkUnited Airlines outlines plan for cost savingsUnited Continental Holdings plans to cut costs by $2 billion a year in order to double its profit by 2017. The carrier outlined steps for cost savings, including purchasing more fuel-efficient aircraft and eliminating redundancies from its merger in 2010.
LinkDelta offers lie-flat seats on U.S.-Germany flightsDelta Air Lines has rolled out lie-flat seats in its Business Elite cabin for flights between Germany and the U.S. "The design of Delta's new Business Elite seats optimizes each passenger's space, giving them privacy to work or relax in order to arrive at their destination ready for a day's business," said Perry Cantarutti, senior vice president for Europe, Middle East and Africa at the carrier. The seats also include a USB port, power source and 10.6-inch screen.
LinkBoeing 777X design to feature folding wings In 2020, Boeing says it will start deliveries of a new airplane, which is called 777x for now, that will be 12 percent more fuel efficient than its competition. That would bring huge savings to airlines in reduced fuel costs. The plane is based, as the name suggests, on Boeing’s large 777 airliner. To get the fuel savings, Boeing is using the new GE9X engine from GE Aviation. It will also have composite wings that are longer than the ones on the current 777. Longer wings are known to improve efficiency, but pose a problem for negotiating airports. One solution is to add vertical winglets, which has much the same effect. With the 777x, Boeing has opted for longer wings that fold up when the plane is on the ground, shortening the wingspan by just over 6 meters.
LinkAir Algerie takes A330 for long-haul renewalAir Algerie is intending to take three Airbus A330s as part of the airline’s fleet-renewal program. The Algiers-based carrier had recently stated that it was closing on a fleet decision which included a need for three long-haul aircraft of around 250 seats to replace Boeing 767s. Air Algerie has signed a memorandum of understanding covering three A330-200s. The airline is already an A330 operator. Chief executive Mohamed Salah Boultif says the agreement – still a memorandum of understanding – will “reinforce” its commitment to the type.
LinkIraqi Airways signs LOI for up to 16 CS300sIraqi Airways has signed a letter of intent to take up to 16 Bombardier CS300s at the Dubai air show. If the order is confirmed, the carrier will take delivery of five aircraft on firm order from 2016. It also has five options and six purchase rights. Based on list prices, the five firm aircraft are valued at approximately $387 million, while the total value of the agreement would rise to $1.26 billion if all options and purchase rights are exercised. The aircraft will be delivered from 2016 and feature a 2-class layout with 12 business and 120 economy class seats.
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