NewsCommercial
Airbus mulls slimmer seats for A320
Think that aircraft seat pitch can’t get any tighter than 28 inches? Think again. Ultra slimline economy class seat concepts under development by Zodiac Aerospace and other interiors companies could accommodate a 27-inch seat pitch, and are targeted at the short-haul market. The latest innovations in seat geometry are particularly well timed. EASA last week issued a Type Certificate (TC) update that provides a path forward to increase capacity on the Airbus A320 to 195 seats – a whopping 15 more seats than the current 180-seaters now flying, and six more than the 189-seat capacity for which Airbus recently sought approval.
Link
Udvar-Hazy reveals preferences for Boeing's next project
Air Lease Corp founder Steven Udvar-Hazy flashes a squinty grin and says he cannot reveal Boeing’s design secrets for the still-unlaunched clean-sheet aircraft concept to follow the 777X family into service after 2022. “I know the answer, but I can’t tell you,” says Udvar-Hazy, speaking on the sidelines of the ISTAT conference on 10 March. “It’s really not correct for me to tell you what’s going on in the design chambers in Seattle.”
LinkAirlines
Air Canada and GOL Sign Codeshare Agreement
Air Canada and Brazil's GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes announced today a codeshare agreement that will make it easier for customers to connect and travel through the two airlines' networks. The agreement is subject to approval of the Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil, the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica and the Canadian Transportation Agency.
Link
Alaska to debut nonstop Seattle-NYC service
Alaska Airlines will begin nonstop daily service between Seattle and New York’s JFK on Sept. 16. Introductory fares start at $149 one-way (tickets must be bought by March 16 and travel needs to be completed by Nov. 18, 2015). Members of Alaska’s mileage plan will get double miles on Seattle-JFK flights between Sept. 16 and Oct. 28, 2015.
Link
Delta looks to entertainment industry with special flights
Delta Air Lines provides shuttles to film and music festivals with invite-only seating. Delta will fly its "party plane" from Los Angeles to the South by Southwest festival today. "The whole goal is about going after a really lucrative and very, very large and very, very unique revenue set," said Ranjan Goswami, a Delta vice president of sales.
Link
Emirates Mulls Big Twin-Aisle Order
Emirates' chief operating officer said that both Boeing and Airbus had made improvements to its respective 787 and A350 aircraft in response to requests from the Dubai-based carrier. Among the improvements were increased range, better interiors and reduced weight, Adel al-Redha told reporters on the sidelines of a border security conference.
Link
JetBlue Airways Reports February Traffic
JetBlue Airways Corporation reported its preliminary traffic results for February 2015. Traffic in February increased 10.0 percent from February 2014, on a capacity increase of 7.4 percent. Load factor for February 2015 was 83.5 percent, an increase of 1.9 points from February 2014. JetBlue's preliminary completion factor was 93.4 percent and its on-time (1) performance was 59.7 percent
Link
Republic Airways Orders 5 Embraer E-175s
Embraer has booked a firm order from US regional operator Republic Airways for five of its next-generation E-175 aircraft.
Link
Southwest receives approval for Houston-Mexico City flights
Southwest Airlines in January lost its effort to get United Airlines or SkyWest Airlines kicked off routes from Houston to Mexico City and Houston to Cabo San Lucas. By the U.S.-Mexico bilateral treaty, the number of U.S. airlines on those routes is limited. And all the airline authorities had been handed out. Southwest had argued that United Airlines and SkyWest Airlines were operating flights only for the benefit of one airline, United, and asked the DOT to replace one of them with Southwest. The U.S. Department of Transportation turned down Southwest’s request.
Link
United Continental is looking into new aircraft to replace 757s
United Continental Holdings Inc. is looking at potential replacement aircraft for its Boeing 757s. Ron Baur, vice president of fleet, said the carrier is considering both the Airbus A321LR and a new aircraft under development from Boeing.
Link
United utilizes new gate designs to enhance customer experience
United Airlines is testing revamped boarding areas at three gates in Chicago O'Hare International Airport's Terminal 1. Seating areas have been redesigned to give travelers more personal space, poles have been added to guide boarding passengers and a proprietary scent is being pumped into the jet bridge walkways. United will roll out its preferred design to gates throughout the airport and across the U.S.
Link
Analyst applauds move by United to upgrade clubs
United Airlines is updating its United Clubs to improve the passenger experience. Analysts applauded the move by United. "As profits improve, it's good to see airlines investing in their product from nose to tail," said Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst.
Link
Virgin Atlantic returns to profit
Virgin Atlantic made a pre-tax profit of £14.4 million ($21.7 million) last year – its first positive result since 2011. In 2013, it incurred a pre-tax loss of £51 million. The UK carrier attributes its improved performance in 2014 to "strategic changes in the business along with operational and cost efficiencies" including the "significant benefit from its joint-venture partnership with Delta Air Lines".
LinkAirports
Miami airport to welcome 2 new restaurants
Two new restaurants will open in Florida's Miami International Airports Central Terminal this year: an island-themed bar and grill called Margaritaville and the first U.S. location of Brazilian chain restaurant Viena. Both eateries will be located in pre-security areas.
LinkMilitary
Australia gears up for A330 MRTT boom capability
Australia has removed the Airbus Military A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) from its ‘Projects of Concern’ list following remediation work related to the type’s aerial refuelling boom. Designated the KC-30A in Australian service, the type has been on the list since February 2010 owing to a number of project delays. Extensive work has been undertaken by Airbus in Spain related to the capability.
Link
Malaysia receives first A400M
Malaysia has taken delivery of its first Airbus A400M tactical transport, making it the first country to receive the type beyond the aircraft’s launch nations. Aircraft MSN22 was formally handed over to Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) officials at Airbus Defence & Space’s final assembly facility in Seville, Spain.
Link
Twin crash prompts Turkey to order RF-4E retirement
After the latest incident involving McDonnell Douglas RF-4E/TMs, in which four crew members were killed when two of the aircraft crashed in southeast Turkey, the nation has decided to retire the type after a 35-year service life. On 24 February, two RF-4Es crashed during an approach for landing. According to information released by the Turkish air force, the aircraft were flying in cloud during the night-time approach. The crash area was about 7.5nm (14km) from the runway at Malatya/Erhac air base. An F-4E was also lost in Konya province on 5 March.
Link
USAF wants small, fully integrated JSTARS replacement
The US air force will consider both US and international airframers to replace the Northrop Grumman E-8C JSTARS fleet, according to documents released on 5 March. The service also has confirmed its preference for a smaller aircraft than the Boeing 707-based E-8C. The air force wants a “smaller, more efficient airframe, thereby reducing life cycle costs of the weapon system,” the USAF says. The chosen aircraft must come complete with a JSTARS battle management, command and control (BMC2) system and synthetic aperture radar/moving target indicator (SAR/MTI) capability, the service says.
Link
Aviation Quote
Flying is more than a sport and more than a job; flying is pure passion and desire, which fill a lifetime.
— General Adolf Galland, Luftwaffe, The First and the Last, 1954.
On This Date
---In 1908…The U.S. Aerial Experiment Association’s first aircraft, the Red Wing, makes its first flight. This flight ends in a crash, from which pilot Thomas Baldwin, survives.
---In 1910... Lieutenant J. W. Dunne’s D5 tailless biplane is tested at Eastchurch, Kent, England. It has a 60-hp Green engine and was built by Short Brothers.
---In 1932…Newark Airport receives installation of landing aid equipment to assist with night landings.
---In 1948…Northwest Airlines Flight 4422, a Douglas DC-4 (NC95422) returning to the United States from Shanghai, China, crashes into Mount Sanford in Alaska, killing all 30 on-board. Though the crash was witnessed by several locals, it became buried in snow and lost for near half a century. Removal of wreckage was only allowed by Parks Departments officials in 1999, and remains found of one passenger was also found and positively identified through DNA testing.
---In 1950…An Airflight Limited Avro 689 Tudor V (G-AKBY, nicknamed “Star Girl”) crashes while on approach to Llandow’s Runway 28 in Sigingstone, Wales. While attempting to correct a lower-than-normal approach, the pilot’s correction causes a stall causing 80 of the 83 aboard to perish. The blame was placed on improper loading, creating a a center of gravity issue and the subsequent low angle of attack while trying to land. At the time it is the most deadly aviation disaster in history.
---In 1955…First flight of the Aérospatiale Alouette II helicopter.
---In 1957... The prototype Boeing 707 jet lands after a press demonstration flight from Seattle, Washington to Baltimore, Maryland during which it covers 2,350 miles in a record time of 3 hours 48 minutes.
---In 1974…Mars 6 entered into orbit and launched its lander. The lander returned atmospheric descent data, but failed on its way down.
---In 1975…An Air Vietnam Douglas DC-4 (XV-NUJ) is shot down by a surface-to-air missile in Pleiku, Vietnam, killing all 26 souls aboard.
---In 1979…Atlantic Southeast Airlines is founded.
---In 1980…A pair of B-52 Stratofortress aircraft make an around-the-world nonstop trip in 42.5 hours.
---In 1981…Soyuz T-4 carries 2 cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station.
---In 1996…Florida West International Airways restarts operations.
---In 1998... The first two of four Boeing E-767 airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircrafts are officially handed over to the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.
---In 2007…Continental Airlines increases their Boeing 787 order from 20 to 25, adding five of the 787-9 series.
---In 2008…Southwest Airlines grounds 44 aircraft for inspections, days after the FAA accuses as many as 117 of its 737s of flying without proper airworthiness certificates.
---In 2009…Cougar Helicopters Flight 91, a Sikorsky S-92A, registration C-GZCH, ditches in the Atlantic Ocean off Canada, killing 17 of the 18 people on board.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Trivia
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
