NewsAround 20 carriers involved in Monarch repatriationSome 20 different operators are contributing to the repatriation of passengers to the UK following the collapse of leisure carrier Monarch Airlines. Israeli carriers El Al and Arkia, Qatar Airways, British Airways and EasyJet are among the major airlines to have been recruited to provide capacity for the UK Civil Aviation Authority's effort.
LinkUK budget airline shares rise after Monarch's demiseShares in budget carriers EasyJet and Ryanair spiked upwards following the demise of UK leisure operator Monarch Airlines. Both carriers' stock prices rose by around 5% on 2 October as Monarch entered administration.
LinkSwiss probe details A330's close encounter with droneSwiss investigators believe a remotely-piloted aerial vehicle might have been deliberately positioned above an air navigation waypoint for photography purposes before an airprox incident involving an Airbus A330-300. Despite the good visibility, says Swiss investigation authority SUST, the crew could not detect the vehicle's presence in time for evasive action.
LinkATSB details MH370 captain's simulation of Indian Ocean routeThe Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has published details about data gleaned from the personal flight simulator of MH370 captain Zaharie Shah. "Six weeks before the accident flight the [pilot-in-command] had used his simulator to fly a route, initially similar to part of the route flown by MH370 up the Straits of Malacca, with a left-hand turn and track into the southern Indian Ocean. There were enough similarities to the flight path of MH370 for the ATSB to carefully consider the possible implications for the underwater search area."
LinkATSB final MH370 report calls for more precise flight trackingThe Australian Transport Safety Bureau's (ATSB) final report into Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 calls for flight tracking that is even more precise than the 15-minute position tracking interval called for by ICAO. The 440-page report details the history of the missing Boeing 777-200ER, from its takeoff on 8 March 2014 on a Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight, to its disappearance and subsequent search efforts near Malaysia, and later in the southern Indian Ocean.
LinkBEA takes lead on Air France A380 engine failure probeFrench investigation authority BEA has assumed control of the investigation of a serious engine failure on board an Air France Airbus A380 over Greenland on 30 September, Canada’s transport agency confirms. Air France flight 66 landed in Goose Bay, Canada, after the fan section of the No. 4 Engine Alliance GP7200 suffered an unexplained in-flight break-up at 37,000ft.
Link777X's first test wing enters final assemblyBoeing in late September began assembling the first test example of a composite wing for its in-development 777X widebody twin, two years ahead of the aircraft's flight debut. The milestone involved the wing's top section being lowered into a jig at the Everett plant in Washington, where it will undergo robotic drilling.
LinkBoeing not rushing decision on NMA: commercial chiefBoeing will not be rushing into a decision on whether to launch a New Mid-market Airplane (NMA), despite seeing a clear opportunity for such a product, the head of its commercial unit tells FlightGlobal. "A decision to launch a new airplane is one that requires a ton of rigour on: is it the right market, is it the right airplane, and does it have the right business plan?" says Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive Kevin McAllister.
LinkEmbraer operator Cityhopper zeroes in on predictive maintenanceKLM Cityhopper plans to expand its predictive maintenance capabilities using a mixed dataset drawn from aircraft, third-party suppliers and manufacturers to identify part failures before they happen. Vice-president of technical services and fleet development Hans Werner says the strategy will be made possible by the regional carrier's move to an all-Embraer fleet. Cityhopper is phasing out eight in-service Fokker 70s and establishing a fleet of 50 Embraer 175/190s.
LinkUnmanned Air Hopper shows its casualty evacuation credentialsAn innovative unmanned helicopter designed to evacuate wounded soldiers from combat zones or perform resupply missions has been demonstrated to high-ranking officials from the Israeli defence ministry by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Developed from an existing small, manned rotorcraft design, the Air Hopper has a payload capacity of 100-180kg (220-397lb), depending on the model, a speed performance of up to 65kt (120km/h) and a maximum flight endurance of 2h, IAI says.
LinkDARPA and AFRL take laser aim at small UAVsThe US Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are ramping up their efforts to thwart small unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), with two recent requests out looking for sensors and lasers to shoot down or disable them.
LinkBombardier flies fourth Global 7000Bombardier's Global 7000 programme has taken another step forward, with the debut flight on 28 September of the fourth flight test vehicle (FTV4) – the first to be equipped with a full production interior.
LinkEmbraer delivers first US-assembled Legacy 500Embraer has delivered the first Legacy 500 midsize business jet to have been assembled at its Melbourne, Florida campus. The 27 September handover to an undisclosed US customer completes the Brazilian airframer’s efforts to establish a final assembly plant in the world’s largest business jet market.
LinkCongress makes first move to repeal supersonic banFlying across the country commercially in a supersonic jet will require more than the invention of a capable aircraft. Laws must be changed. Since 1973, the USA – where two start-ups are developing supersonic business jets and a third is pursuing a design that could work as a large business jet or small airliner – has banned supersonic flight overland.
LinkH160's maximum take-off weight finally confirmedAirbus Helicopters has finally confirmed several key performance parameters for its developmental H160 medium-class rotorcraft, just as the third flight-test prototype is prepared for its maiden sortie. Highlighted in a data sheet on show at the Helitech exhibition in London, the manufacturer gives the H160's maximum take-off weight (MTOW) as 5,670kg (12,500lb). However, it is also listed in an "extended gross weight" configuration of 6,050kg.
LinkP&WC gains approval for AW609 tiltrotor enginePratt & Whitney Canada has secured Canadian certification for the variant of its PT6C engine which will power the Leonardo Helicopters AW609 tiltrotor. Transport Canada approved the 2,000shp (1,490kW)-rated PT6C-67A on 12 September, the company announced today. European and US approvals will follow in the coming months, it adds.
LinkSafran launches new Aneto engine on Leonardo AW189Safran Helicopter Engines has unveiled a new family of turboshaft powerplants in the 2,500-3,000shp (1,860-2,240kW) range, with Leonardo Helicopters the first customer for the Aneto on an updated variant of its AW189. The French engine specialist has been working on a new model in the space above 2,000shp since its acquisition of Rolls-Royce's 50% share of the military RTM322 program in 2013.
LinkLithuania’s Small Planet Airlines secures Cambodian AOCLithuanian leisure carrier Small Planet Airlines has obtained a Cambodian air operator’s certificate (AOC) to help counter European market seasonality. Small Planet Airlines, which launched in 2009, already holds AOCs in three European countries: Lithuania, Poland and Germany. It will operate in Cambodia as a new company, using its existing branding.
LinkMonarch’s engineering arm continues as standalone operationThe UK’s Monarch Aircraft Engineering Ltd. (MAEL) will continue operations despite the Oct. 2 collapse into administration of Monarch Airlines and Monarch Travel Group. MAEL has hangars at both Monarch’s home base of London Luton and at Birmingham airport, as well as 10 line maintenance stations in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.
LinkDelta takes $120 million hit from Hurricane Irma; lowers 3Q marginHurricane Irma cost Delta Air Lines $120 million in lost revenue, leading the company to lower its third-quarter operating margin expectations by about one percentage point, to between 15.5% and 16.5%, the Atlanta-based carrier said Oct. 3.
LinkRyanair reports September traffic up 10% despite cancellations Ryanair has posted a 10% increase in traffic for September, despite high-profile crewing problems that have forced the Irish LCC to cancel thousands of flights. During the month of September, Ryanair carried 11.8 million passengers, up 10% on the same month in 2016. Rolling annual traffic grew 12% to 127.3 million.
LinkSWISS ramps up CSeries London City servicesThe first airliner designed from the outset for operation at London City Airport (LCY), Bombardier’s CSeries, is delivering on its promises, according to Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), which is ramping up services to the UK financial center gateway.
LinkCathay chooses LEAP-1A for A321neosHong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Group has chosen the CFM International LEAP-1A engine to power the fleet of 32 Airbus A321neos it has on order. The Pratt & Whitney PW1200G geared turbofan (GTF) engine is also an option for the A321neo. CFM, a joint venture between GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines, valued the engine order at $1 billion based on list prices.
LinkSt. Petersburg’s Pulkovo airport to add 11 new destinationsRussia’s Pulkovo International Airport in St. Petersburg plans to add 11 new destinations for the IATA 2017-2018 winter season, as more carriers launch flights and expand services to the city.
LinkBoeing rolls out first 787-10 for Singapore AirlinesBoeing has rolled out the first 787-10 built for Singapore Airlines at its final assembly facility in North Charleston, South Carolina. The aircraft will now undergo livery painting, system checks, fueling and engine runs. Delivery is scheduled for the first half of 2018; the aircraft will be used on medium-haul routes.
Link 
