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Avianca 'weeks' away from firming JV with United
Avianca says it is weeks away from finalising a planned joint venture with partner United Airlines, and expects to make an announcement by the end of 2017. "We are working towards signing a final agreement with United in this calendar year," said Avianca chief executive Hernan Rincon during the airline's third quarter earnings call.
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CDB Aviation seals order for 90 A320neos
CDB Aviation Lease Finance has confirmed an order for 90 Airbus A320neo aircraft at the 2017 Dubai air show, half of which relate to a previously undisclosed commitment and the remainder from a tentative deal disclosed at this year's Paris air show. The lessor’s order book now comprises a total of 32 A321neos and 58 A320neos, the lessor says.
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EgyptAir to lease 15 A320neos from AerCap
EgyptAir has committed to lease 15 Airbus A320neo aircraft from AerCap. The jets will be powered by CFM International Leap-1A engines, and will come from the lessor's existing order book.
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Flydubai commits to 175 737 Max aircraft
Flydubai has committed to order an additional 175 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, with purchase rights for 50 more of the type. The deal, announced at the Dubai air show, is valued at $27 billion at list prices.
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EgyptAir to lease six 787-9s from AerCap
EgyptAir has become the latest operator to commit to the Boeing 787-9, with the signing of a deal to lease six of the type from AerCap. The aircraft, expected to come from AerCap’s existing backlog of 787 orders, will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. The deal was disclosed in a joint announcement by the airline, lessor and manufacturer at the Dubai air show.
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Indigo Partners signs MoU for 430 A320neos
Private equity firm Indigo Partners has signed a memorandum of understanding for 430 Airbus A320neo family aircraft at the Dubai air show. This comprises 273 A320neos and 157 A321neos, valued at $49.5 billion at list prices. An engine selection has not been made.
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Alaska to end Los Angeles-Havana flight
Alaska Airlines will discontinue its daily Los Angeles-Havana flight on 22 January, roughly one year after the carrier launched the route. The news makes Alaska the latest in a string of carriers to have announced cuts to flights to Havana amid less-than-predicted demand.
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Airport concierge services ease the way for harried travelers
Airport concierges can make passengers' travel experience less stressful and are available for a fee. Concierges can ease travelers' way through security and immigration, and may be especially helpful in situations where the traveler doesn't speak the local language.
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Conn. airport's "Taste of Bradley" shows off dining options
Connecticut's Bradley International Airport on Tuesday showed off its upscale food options, designed to offer a "Taste of Bradley." Restaurants with a local flair include Phillips Seafood, the Escape Lounge and the Two Roads Tap Room.
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L-410 crashes in Russia’s Khabarovsk region; young girl sole survivor
A Khabarovsk Airlines Let L-410 crashed in Russia’s Khabarovsk region Nov. 15, Moscow-based Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) reported. According to Russia’s Ministry of Transport, the aircraft was en route from Khabarovsk to Nelkan and crashed while landing. Two crew members and four out of five passengers were killed; a young girl was the sole survivor, RIA Novosti agency reported. The aircraft is heavily damaged, IAC said.
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Bombardier: Regional aircraft key to Middle East airlines’ profits
Bombardier is forecasting carriers in the Middle East will take delivery of 450 aircraft in the 60- to 150-seat segment by 2036, as the region is expected to readjust its fleet balance and further develop intra-regional connectivity to restore profit growth and improve yields over the next two decades.
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DOT warns about damaging consequences of negative regulatory trends
Worrying trends on a global level toward the imposition of environmental taxation and consumer protection could drive up costs and derail airline economics, Department of Transportation Office for International Aviation director Brian Hedberg told the Accelerate: Aviation 2017 conference in London this week.
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Korean Air forecasts demand to rebound in China
Korean Air expects to see demand on its China routes start to rebound in the fourth quarter, following a thaw in the political tensions that have severely dented traffic flows between the two countries.
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Hurricane-related charters, ACMI revenues lift Cargojet 3Q profits
A surge in Caribbean hurricane-related ad hoc charters, combined with ACMI revenue related to the April opening of a new US route, lifted Canadian scheduled air freight carrier Cargojet’s third-quarter net profit to C$5.6 million ($4.5 million), reversed from its C$3.9 million net loss in 3Q 2016.
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Mirage upgrade to boost UAE's defenses
While its years-long search for a future fighter continues, the United Arab Emirates has revealed a plan to modernise its in-service fleet of French-supplied combat aircraft. During the Dubai air show on 14 November, Dassault confirmed that the UAE's armed forces "have announced their intention to sign a contract for the upgrade of their Mirage 2000-9 fleet."
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UAE picks C295 for airlift renewal
The United Arab Emirates air force is to update its medium transport capabilities, with a new fleet of Airbus Defense & Space C295s to enter service from late next year. Announced at the Dubai air show on 15 November, the deal will deliver five of the twin-turboprop aircraft from the fourth quarter of 2018, Airbus says.
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Aviation Quote

At sea let the British their neighbors defy—The French shall have frigates to traverse the sky.

- Philip Freneau, —The Progress of Ballons,— 1784.

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Trivia

Aircraft Nicknames

1. Here's one that most aircraft enthusiasts know: the nickname for the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Boeing named it the Stratofortress in keeping with its "Fortress" tradition of naming its bombers that began in 1935 when a member of the press called the newly-unveiled B-17 "a flying fortress". With the dawn of jet power, Boeing started using "Strato" in the names of its planes. This began with the B-47 Stratojet to point out that this plane did most of its work in the stratosphere. "Stratofortress" was a natural merger of these two naming conventions. However, it did not catch on with the mechanics and aircrews. What somewhat-humorous name did?

SLUF
Guppy
Hoover
BUFF

2. Republic Aviation (later Fairchild) had a tradition of giving its planes names incorporating "Thunder". This began with the famous P-47 Thunderbolt of WWII. Although the A-10 is indeed a worthy successor to the P-47, the official nickname did not catch on when a more apt one began to be used almost immediately upon the plane's introduction to the Air Force. What endearing nickname is given to the A-10 Thunderbolt II?

Mud Dog
Thud
Warthog
T-Bird

3. The Air Force did not like the name "Corsair II" for its version of the originally-for-the-Navy Vought A-7. What nickname did the Air Force eventually give to it?

SLUF
Hotrod
Scooter
Hotdog

4. Although they are very different-looking planes and have decades between their service lives, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat and the Grumman/General Motors TBF/M Avenger both share a nickname derived from their appearance. What was it?

Crow
Buzzard
Turkey
Double Ugly

5. These next two questions cover a rivalry between the two main Air Force fighter communities. The official "Fighting Falcon" name for the Lockheed-Martin (nee General Dynamics) F-16 never caught on. Its pilots call it the "Viper" partly in homage to the fighters from the original Battlestar Galactica TV series that premiered at the time the F-16 entered service. What is the derisive name that F-15 pilots call the F-16?

Chaff
Gremlin
Mig Fodder
Lawn Dart

6. What is the put-down that F-16 pilots call the mighty Boeing (nee McDonnell Douglas) F-15 Eagle?

Turkey
Buzzard
Tennis Court
Slab

7. This one is a little bit tricky in that it eventually did become the plane's official name. But first, it flew for decades with what was only an unofficial nickname. I'm talking about the very-capable General Dynamics F-111. Remember, I am asking for its nickname in American service. What was it?

Badger
Aardvark
Rhino
Switchblade

8. The beautiful, sleek, and very loud North American F-100 Super Sabre had an unofficial nickname given to it. What was it?

Vandal
Hun
Goth
Lieutenant Eater

9. The often-overlooked Republic F/RF-84F Thunderflash series had nicknames deriding its less-than-stellar take-off performance. The modifications from its straight-winged predecessor to its intake inlet and sweep of its wings lengthened its take-off roll to become much longer than its early Cold-War stablemate, the North American F-86 Sabre. What was one of these nicknames for the ground-loving F/RF-84F?

Boar
Hog or Ground Hog
Stubby
Sloth

10. The awesome and much-missed Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird had an unflattering nickname given to it by rival aircrews that shared a base with it. Its breathtaking appearance and over-the-top performance made any serious attempt to deride it irrelevant but what was this nickname?

Rocket
Sled
Blazer
Johnson's Hot Rod