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Airbus Gets Certification For The A320neo
Airbus has received certification for the A320neo, paving the way for first delivery of the revamped, best-selling jet. Airbus said the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had jointly approved the model, which is a fuel-efficient upgrade of its popular A320 medium-haul jet.
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BOC Aviation Orders 22 Boeing 737s
BOC Aviation, the aircraft leasing arm of Bank of China, has signed an agreement to buy 22 Boeing 737s, worth USD$2.27 billion at list prices. The deal is equally split between 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft, to be delivered over three years from 2018, BOC said. The 737 MAX is the upgraded version of the 737, offering greater fuel efficiency and lower operating costs.
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Rolls-Royce will weather short-term problems
Rolls-Royce faces short-term difficulties, but is essentially a profitable company, new CEO Warren East said. Presenting an update on the review of operations he instigated after becoming chairman last July, East admitted to problems such as top-heavy management structures, internal complexities and an inability to respond to rapidly changing markets as quickly as desirable.
LinkAirlines
Alaska frequent fliers can use miles on Icelandair
Members of Alaska Airlines' loyalty program can now redeem miles for flights on partner Icelandair, according to columnist Nick Vivion. "Especially given the many low-cost options to continue onto mainland Europe from Iceland, this [is] a very good redemption value for flights from North America to Europe," writes Vivion.
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HNA To Buy USD$450 Mln Stake In Azul
China's HNA Group has partnered with JetBlue founder David Neeleman to buy a USD$450 million stake in Azul, Brazil's third-largest airline, providing a cash cushion until an IPO happens. The 23.7 percent stake in Azul will be a first foray into Latin America for HNA, an aviation, tourism and logistics conglomerate that recently acquired air cargo handlers Swissport and Irish aircraft leasing company Avolon.
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EVA Firms Order For 26 Boeing Planes
Taiwanese full-service carrier EVA Airways has agreed an order worth more than USD$8 billion at list prices for Boeing wide-body aircraft. The airline will use the 24 Boeing 787-10s and two 777-300ERs to support growth plans in coming years, EVA President Austin Cheng said in a statement.
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Kingfisher Airlines' assets to be auctioned off
Bankrupt Indian low-cost carrier (LCC) Kingfisher Airlines will see the last of its moveable assets be sold at a public auction in early December. Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suspended Kingfisher’s air operator’s certificate (AOC) in October 2012 after it stopped flying when employees, who had not been paid for seven months, disrupted flights. The LCC’s deregistered aircraft were returned to lessors in March 2013. An order for five Airbus A350s and five A380s was also canceled.
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Union, Lufthansa Attempt To Avert Strikes
The UFO cabin crew union at Lufthansa is working with the airline's management to find a way to ease tensions and avoid the strikes that the union has threatened for the end of this week. UFO on Monday called for a fresh round of strikes for Thursday and Friday, and continuing on Monday, if Lufthansa did not show more willingness to deal directly with the union in a long-running and increasingly bitter row over early retirement and pensions.
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Norwegian switches on inflight TV
Low-cost carrier (LCC) Norwegian has begun offering live television broadcasts to passengers on board its aircraft—the first in Europe to do so, it said. The service was launched Nov. 23 on an Oslo-Berlin flight and is being rolled out across the carrier’s European network on board 87 Wi-Fi-equipped Boeing 737-800s.
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United exec outlines improvements for customers
United's Vice President of Sales for the Americas Jake Cefolia highlighted the improvements the carrier has made to enhance the customer experience this year, including 31,000 fewer cancellations, growing partner networks and stronger Wi-Fi service.
LinkAirports
Miami airport offers "dress rehearsal" for passengers with special needs
Miami International Airport is offering a program to help passengers with special needs practice boarding flights. "They get to have a dress rehearsal of the travel experience," said Dickie Davis, public and customer relations director for the airport. "People, especially people with autism but other disabilities too, need that confidence-building."
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Military
Russian Su-24 shooting heightens tension with Turkey
The US government is trying to prevent further encounters between the Russian and Turkish air forces over the border zone between Turkey and Syria. On 24 November, a Turkish Lockheed Martin F-16 shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24, with Ankara claiming that the latter had entered Turkish airspace. The incident between the NATO member and Moscow has created major concern in Washington DC.
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Spain reveals plans for armed MQ-9
Spain has confirmed that it will eventually try to weaponise its future fleet of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper unmanned air vehicles, although the immediate priority is to bring the surveillance-only variant into operation. Madrid's programme to acquire a class III UAV for its air force began in September last year, with the Reaper eventually selected in mid-2015 over the competing Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP.
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Aviation Quote
The way I see it, you can either work for a living or you can fly airplanes. Me, I'd rather fly.
— Len Morgan
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