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Boeing shows off Seattle pride with Seahawks plane
Boeing has repainted one of its 747s in the livery of the Seahawks football team. The company is a major sponsor of the team, which plays in Boeing's home town of Seattle.
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Rolls-Royce Wins New Engine Contracts
Rolls-Royce, under pressure after successive profit warnings, said its aero-engine business won two new contracts for a total of USD$2.23 billion. Rolls-Royce said that it had been selected by Saudi Arabian airline SAUDIA to provide engine maintenance and servicing for its Trent 700 engines on 20 A330 aircraft under a long-term contract worth USD$1.3 billion.
LinkAirlines
Air Madagascar Strike Ends
Air Madagascar workers have ended a strike that grounded most of the state-owned carrier's fleet for weeks, after union officials and the carrier signed a deal. "Staff will return to work and flights will resume shortly," said Leon Rajaobelina, chairman of the airline's board. The strike started on June 15 over what workers said was poor governance and mismanagement of the airline, leading to a cancellation of 65-70 percent of flights.
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American Airlines begins reservation consolidation
In 90 days, whether it says American Airlines or US Airways on the plane, it will be an American Airlines flight. American began the 90-day process of combining the US Airways/American Airlines reservation systems over the weekend. The changeover will be completed Oct. 17.
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Delta unveils new seating plan for NBA charters
As of this season, Delta is the contracted charter carrier for 27 of the 30 NBA teams. To transport such long-legged clientele in comfort, the airline has rolled out the A319 VIP configuration. Swiveling seats allow for lounge-style seating, and the low seat count means there's more room for in-flight amenities.
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Victims' Families Reject Germanwings Compensation
Some of the close relatives of those killed in the Germanwings plane crash in March have rejected the carrier's offer of EUR€25,000 (USD$27,100) in compensation payments for their pain and suffering. A lawyer representing some of the German victims, Elmar Giemulla, said he had notified Germanwings earlier this week in a letter that the offer was inadequate. He added a low six-digit amount would be adequate compensation.
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Korean to be first to fit A330 runway-overrun protection
Korean Air is to be the first carrier to implement an anti-overrun system on its Airbus A330s, after the technology secured certification on the type. Approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency means that the runway overrun protection system – known as ROPS – is available across the airframer’s range. Korean Air is to put the system into operation on A330s in service “in the coming months”, says Airbus.
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Southwest Airlines recognized in work-life balance survey
Southwest Airlines was recognized for being among major corporations that enable employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance. The results were compiled across all industries by Forbes and Indeed.com.
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Spring Air Reports First Half Earnings Jump
China's Spring Airlines announced a significant lift in half-year earnings, citing lower fuel prices and growing passenger numbers. First-half net earnings rose by between 130 percent and 150 percent from the CNY270.8 million yuan achieved in the same period last year. The airline plans to raise up to CNY4.5 billion yuan (USD$725 million) in private share placements to fund internet projects and the purchase of new aircraft.
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Airlines enhance food offerings in economy class
JetBlue's Pump Up box, the Eats Tapas box on Delta and United's Snackbox highlight the improving quality of airline inflight food offerings, even in economy class.
LinkAirports
New JFK terminal offers pet lounge
JFK International Airport's ARK is "the world's first air terminal for animals." The $48 million shelter and quarantine facility will provide housing care for animals from dogs and cats to horses and sloths when it opens next year.
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Military
Japanese P-1 to reach full capability by September
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force expects its Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft to reach full operational capability by September 2015. Speaking at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at RAF Fairford in the UK on 17 July, Vice Adm Makoto Sato, commander of the fleet air force for the service, said that the fleet is going through operational testing, all of which is on track to be completed by September.
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Lockheed Martin takes the plunge with $9bn Sikorsky deal
Lockheed Martin will transform into a major supplier of civil and military helicopters following its announcement today that it will acquire Sikorsky from United Technologies for $9 billion. The deal is Lockheed’s largest deal since the purchase of Martin Marietta in 1995, and is its first foray into rotorcraft manufacture since the ill-fated AH-56 Cheyenne program was cancelled by the US Army in 1972.
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NASA and USAF study effect of volcanic ash on C-17 engines
Researchers at Edwards Air Force Base in California have sprayed Boeing C-17 Globemaster engines with volcanic ash to trial new health monitoring and diagnosis technologies that could improve aircraft safety and fault detection. The NASA Vehicle Integrated Propulsion Research (VIPR) project, in partnership with the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Federal Aviation Administration, started the series of tests earlier this month using a government C-17 aircraft and two Pratt & Whitney F117 high-bypass military turbofan engines. These latest tests build on similar diagnosis and engine health monitoring tests in December 2011 and July 2013.
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RAF gets set for next A400M deliveries
The UK Royal Air Force is on track to achieve delayed initial operational capability (IOC) with the Airbus Defense & Space A400M later this year, with further deliveries expected from next month. One of the service’s current three A400M Atlas tactical transports was open to the public at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), which was staged at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire from 17 to 19 July. Aircraft ZM402 had been delivered to its Brize Norton air base in Oxfordshire in early March.
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Rafale exports take off with Egyptian delivery
Dassault has delivered its first three Rafale combat aircraft to its Egyptian customer, just five months after it secured a 24-unit contract from the North African nation. Accepted by Egyptian officials at Dassault’s Istres flight test center in the south of France, the aircraft will be flown to the Egyptian capital on 21 July.
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Aviation Quote
Running an airline is like having a baby: fun to conceive, but hell to deliver.
— C. E. Woolman, principal founder Delta Air Lines
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