NewsAmerican Airlines to add full-year service to Colo. airportAmerican Airlines will offer daily, year-round service between Dallas and Colorado's Eagle County Regional Airport starting in spring 2018. The carrier is expanding its existing seasonal service.
LinkAir Canada, pilots' union amend labor agreementAir Canada and the Air Canada Pilots Association have renegotiated their labor agreement to allow the airline to expand its Rouge-branded North American narrow-body fleet. "These amendments, voted on and ratified by our pilots, further emphasize our pilots' alignment with Air Canada's successful business strategy to compete effectively in the highly competitive airline industry, and make adjustments of mutual benefit as the competitive environment evolves," Air Canada's Benjamin Smith said.
LinkUnited Airlines plans Houston-Sydney route starting in Jan.United Airlines will in January 2018 launch nonstop service between Houston and Sydney, competing with Qantas and Air New Zealand. The flight will be the airline's second-longest.
LinkReport: The best domestic loyalty programsA report from The Points Guy looks at the best of domestic elite status programs, examining perks by categories including airport, reservation, in-flight, bonuses, partners, flexible offerings and nonflying perks.
LinkInmarsat trial flight to explore cloud-based data recordingAviation communications specialist Inmarsat is to conduct a demonstration of potential future flight-data recording concepts through a tie-up with Canadian firm FLYHT. The so-called "black box in the cloud" concept is based on transmission of data which would normally be stored by on-board flight recorders – devices which are vulnerable to loss in the event of an accident in oceanic regions.
LinkHow 737 Max is transforming pilot trainingA new era in Boeing's more than 50-year history with the 737 began on 16 May, when the company delivered the first Max-series example of the ubiquitous twinjet to Malindo Air. Part of the Lion Air group, the Malaysian mainline carrier swiftly followed this milestone by placing its lead 737 Max 8 into revenue service.
LinkAirbus extends restrictions as it works on A350 pump fixAirbus has extended the revision of the A350 minimum equipment list while it works to resolve a technical issue centred on hydraulic pump overheating risks. The A350 had been subject to an emergency airworthiness directive in August after analysis concluded that an overheating engine-driven pump could potentially ignite fuel in the aircraft's tanks if the inerting system was not operating.
LinkThai takes its first Boeing 787-9Thai Airways International has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9. The aircraft arrived at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport on 17 September after a delivery flight from Boeing's Everett Delivery Centre, says the carrier.
LinkJet fuel rationing at Auckland to last almost two weeksJet fuel rationing at Auckland airport is set to stretch out for up to two weeks as replacement of a damaged fuel pipeline continues. The owner of the pipeline, Refining New Zealand, says in a statement that once the pipeline from the Marden Point refinery to Auckland’s fuel supplier, Wiri Oil Services, ruptured on 17 September, it initially hoped that a clamp could be applied and the pipe returned to service after two days. Further examination showed however that the pipe needs replacement, which is expected to take the remainder of the week.
LinkAirbus receives first Beluga XL main doorAirbus has taken delivery of the main cargo door for its outsize Beluga XL transport. The door, fitted with hydraulic and electrical systems, was constructed by Stelia Aerospace.
LinkComac wins commitments for 130 C919sComac has secured new commitments for 130 C919 aircraft from Chinese lessors. The Chinese airframer says this takes commitments for the type to 730, and brings the total number of customers to 27.
LinkAmeco Beijing looks to develop new MRO capabilitiesAmeco Beijing wants to develop new MRO capabilities, as it seeks to capitalise on the growth of aviation in Asia-Pacific. In a statement, the MRO firm says that besides continuing to develop new capabilities on new-generation aircraft, it is doubling its efforts on its modification and retrofit capabilities, such as developing a parallel production line for Boeing 757 passenger-to-freighter conversion.
LinkKC-46A testing glitches could delay USAF tanker milestoneDespite earlier assurances that Boeing would deliver the US Air Force's first 767-based KC-46A tanker by the end of this year, boom scraping issues and a slew of uncompleted test points may delay delivery until 2018, the head of its Air Mobility Command has revealed.
LinkTextron unit acquires 63 Mirage F1sAs Textron Airborne Solutions pursues the US Air Force’s lucrative adversary air (ADAIR) contract, the company earlier this month acquired 63 Dassault Mirage F1s, ATAC chief executive Jeffrey Parker says. ATAC, which Textron acquired last year, took ownership of the legacy fleet, plus support equipment and 150 engines, on 5 September. Textron plans to use the Mirages towards the USAF’s upcoming award, which requires almost 150 aircraft to fulfil the service’s "red air" training needs.
LinkUK outlines IOC target for F-35sThe UK remains on target to achieve initial operational capability (IOC) with the Lockheed Martin F-35B in late 2018, with its personnel training and testing activities gathering pace. Eight of the 11 short take-off and vertical landing aircraft so far accepted by the UK are now supporting training at the US Marine Corps' MCAS Beaufort facility in South Carolina, with the activity involving 140 of its personnel. "By the end of this year it is planned that the UK will have 14 of these jets," the Ministry of Defence says.
LinkChina Airlines and Nordam proceed with MRO JV plansChina Airlines and Nordam Aerospace Maintenance Group have signed a joint venture term sheet to establish and operate an MRO facility in Taoyuan, Taipei, to service thrust reversers and other composite aerospace parts. The signing of the term sheet follows the inking of a Memorandum of Understanding in March earlier this year.
LinkGulfstream begins completion of final G450The final Gulfstream G450 has rolled off the manufacturer's Savanah production line and is now undergoing completion at the airframer's maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in Appleton, Wisconsin, in preparation for its delivery to an unnamed customer early next year.
LinkRyanair to take $30 million hit from flight cancellationsIrish LCC Ryanair estimates that crew-related cancellations over the next six weeks will cost around €25 million ($29.9 million), with CEO Michael O’Leary describing the situation as “a mess of our own making.” On Sept. 15, Ryanair announced it was canceling 2% of its flight schedule over the next six weeks to restore punctuality levels, which dipped around 10 points to below 80% over the past couple of weeks because of air traffic control problems, weather disruption and crew-leave changes.
LinkSaudi startup flyadeal names first route Flyadeal will operate its inaugural flight Sept. 23, kicking off operations with twice-daily flights between the port city of Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital and main financial hub. The launch date, which was previously announced, is significant because it is Saudi National Day, marking the anniversary of the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
LinkNorwegian and Ryanair end flight-connection talksLCCs Norwegian and Ryanair have abandoned plans to form a connecting flight partnership, after Norwegian decided to enter into a similar tie-up with UK LCC easyJet.
LinkAirbus forecasts 2,000 aircraft in China by 2020 Airbus expects to have 2,000 aircraft operating in China before the end of 2020 as demand continues to rise. In addition, Airbus projects Chinese airlines will need 60-100 A380s over the next five to seven years.
LinkThailand’s Nok Air reshuffles leadershipA leadership reshuffle at Thai LCC Nok Air could pave the way for shareholder Thai Airways to play a larger role in the carrier’s turnaround.
LinkQatar rolls out Qsuite to new destinationsParis Charles De Gaulle Airport will be the second destination to have Qatar Airways’ new Qsuite business-class product, with the revamped cabins appearing on the route Sept. 25, the Doha-based airline said. New York JFK will follow by the end of this year. The carrier is converting its widebody fleet to the Qsuite configuration—previewed at the ITB exhibition in Berlin earlier this year and shown on board an aircraft for the first time at June’s Paris Air Show—and will have completed the process by the end of 2018.
LinkTurkish Airlines opens new flight training center in IstanbulTurkish Airlines has opened a new flight training center at Istanbul Atatürk Airport for its more than 4,000 pilots and 10,000 flight attendants. The new 25,600 sq m flight training center can accommodate 2,260 crew members, increasing capacity by 48%, and will be also available for third-party business.
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