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P&W to invest $65m in Georgia GTF maintenance site
Pratt & Whitney will invest $65 million in a maintenance site near Columbus, Georgia where the company maintains and overhauls PW1000G geared turbofans (GTFs), the Connecticut-based manufacturer announces. The investment, which comes as the company embarks on massive GTF production ramp up, will help P&W ensure it has infrastructure in place to meet increasing maintenance demand, P&W says in a media release.
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Alcoa to supply aluminium to E190-E2 program
Alcoa will supply aluminium sheet and plate for the Embraer E190-E2 regional jet family under a multi-year deal worth $470 million. The agreement makes Alcoa the exclusive supplier for proprietary, lightweight alloys used in the wing and fuselage of the re-engined family of 75- to 130-seat jets, Alcoa says.
LinkAirlines
American Airlines helps passengers get visas for Cuban flights
American Airlines has hired an outside company to help passengers traveling to Cuba secure visas and will soon set up a new desk dedicated to booking flights to the country. American is planning its first flight to Cuba on Sept. 7, pending final approval by the Cuban government.
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EgyptAir MS804 data shows evidence of onboard fire
Initial evidence gleaned from the flight data recorder (FDR) of Egyptair flight MS804 indicates the Airbus A320 experienced smoke in two separate locations on the aircraft prior to its crash into the Mediterranean Sea. The Egyptian investigating committee said that, following the cleaning and repair of the FDR in France, it has downloaded the data and is now decoding and validating some 1,200 parameters. The committee added that the recovered data covered the entire flight from takeoff at Paris Charles De Gaulle airport to the point at 37,000 ft. over the Mediterranean “where the accident occurred.”
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Malaysia Airlines Names Bellew as CEO
Malaysia Airlines has named chief operating officer and former Ryanair executive Peter Bellew as the carrier's new chief executive, replacing Christoph Mueller who resigned earlier this year. Bellew will assume the role on July 1, the airline said in a statement on Thursday.
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SAS Scandinavian Airlines sells remaining Widerøe stake
SAS Scandinavian Airlines has completed its divestment of shares in Norwegian regional airline Widerøe. In September 2013, SAS sold 80% of its shares in Widerøe, previously a wholly owned subsidiary, to WF Holding, an investment company controlled by shipping and ferry company Torghatten. At that time SAS said it intended to dispose of the remaining shares during 2016.
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Southwest to launch cutting-edge reservation system
Southwest Airlines is updating the back-office technology behind its reservations platform as part of a $250 million overhaul. "After 30 years, we're going to have an up-to-date reservation system that will have much more robust capabilities for us to more tactically contemplate making changes to our business model," said CEO Gary Kelly.
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Fatal TransAsia ATR crash attributed to crew shortfalls
Investigations into the fatal TransAsia Airways ATR 72-600 crash into the Keelung river in February last year have concluded that the accident was a result of many contributing factors, but ultimately attributes the disaster to the crew's actions. In its final report, Taiwan’s Aviation Safety Council says that during the aircraft’s initial climb after takeoff from Taipei Songshan airport, an intermittent discontinuity in the right-hand engine’s auto feather unit (AFU) may have initiated the automatic take-off power control system (ATPCS) sequence, resulting in the autofeather of the right-side engine.
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UPS, pilots reach tentative agreement after five years of talks
After nearly five years of sometimes contentious negotiations, Louisville, Kentucky-based UPS Airlines and the union representing its pilots have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract. The airline arm of Atlanta-based delivery giant United Parcel Service (UPS) has been trying to forge a new collective bargaining agreement with its 2,600 flight deck crew, represented by the Independent Pilots Association (IPA), since the second half of 2011. Contract talks entered federal mediation under the US National Mediation Board (NMB) in March 2014 and the pilots voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike in October 2015, though US labor laws made the vote largely symbolic.
LinkAirports
McCarran International posts strong May passenger numbers
McCarran International Airport saw some 4.1 million travelers in May, the highest number for the Nevada airport since 2007. The total was a 3.9% jump over last year.
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UK Delays Runway Decision Due To EU Exit Vote Fallout
Britain will not decide where to build a new runway at a London airport until at least October due to the political turmoil following Britons' vote to leave the European Union. London Heathrow has been campaigning for 25 years to build an additional runway and a decision had been expected this summer, after it was pushed back by the government from last year.
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Moscow Domodedovo T2 terminal scheduled to open in 2018
Moscow Domodedovo International Airport is scheduled to open a new passenger terminal, T2, in 1Q 2018. It is investing RUB32.3 billion ($502.6 million) in the new terminal. “The building and installation costs are RUB27 billion. Together with investments into technique it will be RUB32.3 billion,” Domodedovo T2 project head Alexander Boyko said. “Up to the day we have accomplished 15% of the project, and as of the end of May, we had spent RUB4 billion.”
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Dubai Airport Passenger Traffic Up 7.2 Pct In May
Passenger traffic through Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, rose 7.2 percent from a year earlier to 6.72 million people in May. Traffic from eastern Europe and Gulf Arab countries grew particularly fast, the airport operator said. In the first five months of this year, traffic expanded 7.0 percent to 34.65 million passengers.
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Military
Lockheed's Q-53 radar demonstrates drone-tracking capabilities
In a recent test at Fort Sill, Okla., the AN/TPQ-53 radar system identified and tracked drones. "In the demonstration, the Q-53 radar showed it can be readily adapted to provide both air surveillance and counter fire target acquisition in one tactical sensor," according to Lockheed Martin.
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Three F-35s complete direct flight from US to UK
A trio of Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters has touched down on British soil, two years after a fleet-wide grounding prompted by an engine fire foiled plans for the aircraft’s international debut here. Two U.S. Marine Corps and a single British aircraft landed at RAF Fairford shortly after 8 p.m. local time June 29. They flew directly from MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, supported by two U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extenders.
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Aviation Quote
How do you like your coffee, Captain - cream & sugar?'
We are at 30 west, the half-way point between the European & North American continents, & the stewardess in charge of the forward galley is looking after her aircrew during a pause in serving the passengers' meals.
Mach 2. On autopilot, eleven miles high, moving at 23 miles a minute. Nearly twice as high as Mount Everest, faster than a rifle bullet leaving its barrel. The side windows are hot to the touch, from friction of the passing air. Despite the speed we can talk without raising our voices.
"Milk, please, & no sugar".
— Brian Calvert, the opening paragraphs of Flying Concorde, 1982.
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