NewsCommercial
A320neo completes first flight
Airbus has completed the first flight of its A320neo, with the re-engined narrowbody spending close to 2.5h in the air before landing at 14:22 French time. MSN6101, powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines, had lifted off from Toulouse-Blagnac airport "at around 60 tonnes", says Airbus. "During the flight, which took the aircraft around southern France, the crew explored the aircraft's flight envelope and systems operation, while the progress was monitored by experts on the ground in real time via a direct telemetry link," adds the airframer.
Link
Airbus details composition of A320neo test fleet
Airbus is planning to use four A320neos, two A319neos and two A321neos for its re-engined narrowbody program's flight-test program. For each variant, half the aircraft will be powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan and half by the CFM International Leap-1A engine. While the first flight of the re-engined family was made by a PW1100G-equipped A320neo today, a Leap-powered sister aircraft is to join the test campaign in the first half of 2015.
Link
JTSB fails to pinpoint cause of 2013 ANA 787 battery incident
The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) has released findings from an investigation into the 16 January 2013 main battery incident aboard an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which resulted in an emergency landing and contributed to a global grounding of the type. While the 100-page investigation report does not identify a specific cause for the lithium ion battery failure aboard ANA flight 692, it provides probable causes and has recommendations for both the FAA and Boeing. “Internal heat generation in cell six very likely developed into venting, making it the initiating cell, resulting in cell-to-cell propagation and subsequent failure of the main battery,” says the report.
LinkAirlines
Air France Pilots' Strike Continues
The main pilots' union at Air France said its strike was continuing despite confirmation from the company that it had withdrawn its controversial plans to expand the airline's low-cost operations in Europe. As the stoppage entered its 11th day, the SNPL union said in a statement that it had made further demands regarding workers' terms of employment under the no-frills Transavia brand within France, but that management had refused these. A statement from the company on Thursday said "talks are continuing with the aim of reaching a rapid conclusion". Air France-KLM outlined plans earlier this month to develop Transavia in an attempt to head off competition from independent low-cost rivals.
Link
American, El Al to exit partnership on Oct. 31
American Airlines said Wednesday it was ending its partnership with Israeli flag carrier El Al. The change was announced on the airline’s website. The partnership will end on October 31, which will be the last day on which El Al Matmid members can earn points by flying on American, and also the last day on which American AAdvantage members can earn points by flying on El Al. In addition, the 31st is the last day for El Al Matmid members to book travel on American, as well the last day for AAdvantage members to book flights on El Al.
Link
Asian Airlines Increase Fuel Hedging
Airlines in Asia are stepping up jet fuel hedge volumes after oil prices fell below USD$100 a barrel, with some locking in fuel purchases as far out as 2016. Airlines have been cautious about fuel hedging since 2008, when several large carriers scrambled to lock in fuel needs as oil prices surged above USD$100 a barrel for the first time - only to see them drop to less than USD$50 by year-end as a global recession hammered travel demand. But fuel traders at several regional banks have noted a widespread pick-up in hedge interest as oil prices have dropped, and volumes could rise in the next quarter if oil prices keep falling, they said.
Link
China Eastern takes delivery of first Boeing 777-300ER
China Eastern Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. With the type’s delivery, it has also taken the opportunity to introduce a new livery, with an updated logo featuring a swallow consisting of two letters – C and E – representing the carrier’s name, says Boeing.
Link
Delta to give all employees 5% profit sharing this year
Delta Air Lines notified employees on Wednesday that all employees will receive 5% profit sharing in 2014. In addition, most employees will also receive raises of up to 4% next year. "We have always been committed to sharing with employees the success they help create," CEO Richard Anderson wrote in a letter to employees.
Link
Etihad shows off new colours on A380
Middle Eastern carrier Etihad Airways has unveiled its new livery on an Airbus A380. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier showed off the colour scheme at an event in Hamburg where it rolled out the jet. Etihad chief executive James Hogan said, during the ceremony, that the geometric design represented the "modern architecture" of the United Arab Emirates while the brown and gold colours resembled the landscape.
Link
Lufthansa Pilots Threaten Strike As Talks Fail
German pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit is planning further industrial action at Lufthansa after talks over an early retirement scheme broke down. The union, which has already held four strikes so far this year over the matter, said it would give notice of any strikes. VC wants Lufthansa to maintain a scheme that allows pilots to retire early at the age of 55 and still receive up to 60 percent of their pay before pension payments start. However, Lufthansa says that the scheme is no longer needed given increasing life expectancies and a recent court ruling that means pilots can now work until the age of 65.
Link
1 million devices access Internet through JetBlue's Fly-Fi
More than 1 million mobile devices have connected to JetBlue Airways' in-flight Wi-Fi service, prompting the company to give TrueBlue points to 140 passengers on a selected flight. The Fly-Fi service was launched last December.
LinkAirports
Las Vegas airport served 3.4% more passengers in Aug.
Passenger counts at McCarran International Airport continued to soar in August as 3.7 million people passed through the airport’s gates producing the third-best month of the year for arrivals. The Clark County Aviation Department on Wednesday announced McCarran’s August count was 3.4 percent greater than the same month a year ago and resulted in a year-to-date pace that is 2.4 percent ahead of the first eight months of 2013 with 28.7 million passengers. The abundance of international arrivals continued to tell McCarran’s growth story with 304,600 passengers from abroad, a 19.6 percent increase over August 2013.
Link
Miami airport deploys iBeacon technology
Miami International Airport is the world's first airport to install beacons across the entire facility on SITA's Common-Use Registry open standard framework. The beacons interact with travelers' personal electronic devices through iBeacon technology, allowing airport officials, airlines and airport vendors to communicate quickly and easily with passengers.
Link
O'Hare could, once again, take title of world's busiest airport
Chicago's O'Hare International Airport is poised to regain the title of the busiest airport in the world, out-pacing Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport from January through July. Atlanta has held the record since 2005.
LinkMilitary
Embraer rolls out first US-assembled Super Tucano
Embraer North America and Sierra Nevada Corp (SNC) on 25 September rolled out the first A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft produced outside Brazil. The aircraft is the first of 20 produced for the US Air Force under the light air support (LAS) programme designed to provide allied nations with a counter-insurgency fighter. Embraer’s North American manufacturing presence previously was limited to the business jet market. The Super Tucano rollout makes official the entry of its US division into the defence manufacturing market, says Gary Spulak, president of Embraer Aircraft Holding. Embraer assembles the Phenom 100 and 300 business jets at its Melbourne, Florida facility and has plans to expand production there to include lines for both the Legacy 450 and 500 jets.
Link
South Korea ready to sign F-35 deal
South Korea has finalised its selection of the Lockheed Martin F-35A, with the nation’s air force to receive 40 of the conventional take-off and landing combat aircraft from 2018. Revealing the development on 24 September, Lockheed said that Seoul had announced its “intent to sign the letter of offer and acceptance between the US and Korean governments”. An expected value for the multi-billion dollar production deal has not been released. The F-35 was in March 2014 confirmed as the winner of South Korea’s F-X III fighter contest, which had also involved an advanced version of the Boeing F-15 dubbed the Silent Eagle, and Eurofighter’s Typhoon. The selection cleared the way for formal discussions to occur between Seoul and Washington.
Link
F-35s deploying to US carrier in November might not be fully operational
Plans to test a Lockheed Martin F-35C aboard a US aircraft carrier in November are on track, but both aircraft scheduled to deploy to the Pacific may not be capable of taking off and landing from the ship. The C-model F-35 will be the US Navy’s carrier-based version of the jet and will be the last to enter service in 2018, following the Marine Corps and air force variants. Lt Gen Christopher Bogdan, speaking at a meeting of the programme’s joint executive steering board in Oslo, Norway, said the deployment to the USS Nimitz in the Pacific Ocean was on track despite lagging software development and flight restrictions resulting from a June engine fire that damaged an F-35A prior to a training flight. However, work is ongoing to determine if both aircraft slated to deploy will be fully capable of performing carrier launches and landings, Bogdan says.
Link
Aviation Quote
The unions need to be taken on. British Airways is massively over-staffed and has got to get its costs down. . . . The problem for [chief executive] Willie Walsh is that the board of BA has no spine, no balls and no vision.
— Michael O'Leary, Ryanair CEO, The Telegraph newspaper, 24 February 2010.
On This Date
---In 1951…First flight of the de Havilland Sea Vixen WG326.
---In 1967... The governments of France, West Germany, and Britain sign a memorandum that calls for the development of the Airbus A300 wide-bodied jet airliner.
---In 1977…Laker Airways inaugurates its no-booking "Skytrain" service between London and New York.
---In 1981…First flight of the Boeing 767-200.
---In 2008…Yves Rossy, Swiss airline pilot and former fighter pilot, crosses the English Channel with his homemade jet-powered wing strapped on his back.
---In 2011…Boeing delivers its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner to a customer, All Nippon Airways, at Paine Field in Washington.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Humor
The Marine Sentry
It was a dark, stormy, night. The Marine was on his first assignment, and it was guard duty.
A General stepped out taking his dog for a walk. The nervous young Private snapped to attention, made a perfect salute, and snapped out "Sir, Good Evening, Sir!"
The General, out for some relaxation, returned the salute and said "Good evening soldier, nice night, isn't it?"
Well it wasn't a nice night, but the Private wasn't going to disagree with the General, so the he saluted again and replied "Sir, Yes Sir!"
The General continued, "You know there's something about a stormy night that I find soothing, it's really relaxing. Don't you agree?"
The Private didn't agree, but them the private was just a private, and responded "Sir, Yes Sir!"
The General, pointing at the dog, "This is a Golden Retriever, the best type of dog to train."
The Private glanced at the dog, saluted yet again and said "Sir, Yes Sir!"
The General continued "I got this dog for my wife."
The Private simply said "Good trade Sir!"
Trivia
Google Earth Airports
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
miamiair wrote:4. ORY, Paris Orly, France
vikkyvik wrote:miamiair wrote:4. ORY, Paris Orly, France
Not unless Orly's had some serious surgery!
http://goo.gl/maps/Px8nY
JLAmber wrote:vikkyvik wrote:miamiair wrote:4. ORY, Paris Orly, France
Not unless Orly's had some serious surgery!
http://goo.gl/maps/Px8nY
It's ORY circa 1928
