NewsHi Fly to introduce 471-seat A380 by mid-yearPortuguese long-haul wet-lease specialist Hi Fly is to become the latest operator of the Airbus A380, with plans to take delivery of the type around the middle of this year. Hi Fly had previously signalled that it was holding talks to introduce a pair of A380s.
LinkSwedish freight carrier sells ATP aircraftSwedish cargo specialist West Atlantic has sold two British Aerospace Advanced Turboprop (ATP) freighters to Kenyan company EnComm. As part of the transaction West Atlantic has also brokered an additional two ATP passenger variants, currently owned by one of the group’s collaboration partners, that will also move to the Nairobi-based company.
LinkLufthansa Cargo to market Brussels Airlines’ cargo spaceLufthansa Cargo will market the cargo capacities of Lufthansa Group subsidiary Brussels Airlines from Sept. 1, joining Lufthansa (mainline), Austrian Airlines, Eurowings and Sun Express. Lufthansa Cargo said Brussels Airlines—which flies to 17 destinations in west, central and east Africa—fits ideally into its existing network.
LinkSalamAir expands network, fleetOmani LCC SalamAir has embarked on a steady expansion of its route network and plans to double the size of its small fleet this year. The Muscat-based carrier will add 3X-weekly flights to Tbilisi, Georgia and 2X-weekly services to Baku, Azerbaijan, from June 14, during the Eid al-Fitr celebration that follows the conclusion of Ramadan.
LinkEurocontrol network outage delays thousands of flightsEuropean air traffic management organization Eurocontrol has resumed normal operations following a software misalignment that caused its Enhanced Tactical Flow Management System (ETFMS) to fail for several hours April 3, causing delays to thousands of flights in Europe. “The trigger event was an incorrect link between the testing of a new software release and the live operations system; this led to the deletion of all current flight plans on the live system. We are confident that there was no outside interference,” Eurocontrol said April 4.
LinkNew SriLankan board to push through restructuringThe Sri Lankan government has appointed a new board for state-run SriLankan Airlines as it seeks to return the loss-making airline to profitability. The national carrier’s new board has been tasked with accelerating an ongoing restructuring of the company, with the eventual aim of finding a strategic investor that will participate in a public-private-partnership (PPP) arrangement.
LinkBoeing tankers refuel each other in KC-46 milestone testBoeing announced that its KC-46 Pegasus aerial tanker programme completed its fuel on-load testing, part of its overall supplemental type certificate, by successfully transferring 66,200kg (146,000lb) of jet fuel to another KC-46 during flight using the centreline boom..
LinkSenegal signs for new-generation L-39NGsAero Vodochody has secured its first buyer for the new-generation L-39NG, with Senegal to acquire four armed examples from the Czech Republic manufacturer. Confirming its selection on 4 April, Aero Vodochody said: "The order contains four aircraft in a light-attack version, maintaining also the full training capability." Its deal with Dakar also covers the provision of training services for pilots and maintainers, plus ground-support equipment, spare parts and logistics support.
LinkSaab offers AEL wide area display for Gripen E buyersBrazilian-made wide area and head-up displays for the Saab Gripen E/F will be offered to all customers of the single-engined fighter as a potential cockpit upgrade, says Mikael Franzén, head of Business Unit, Gripen Brazil. The Brazilian air force’s $5.4 billion order for 36 Gripen fighters includes several changes from the Swedish air force version. Instead of three multifunction displays, the FAB selected a 19in by 8in wide-area touchscreen made by AEL Sistemas, an Elbit Systems subsidiary based in Brazil.
LinkColombian air force chief pushes for more Black HawksThe Colombian air force’s appetite for the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk has not waned five months after the government in Bogota signed an agreement ending a 50-year-old conflict with FARC guerrilla fighters. “I hope we will have enough budget to continue acquiring this aircraft,” says Gen Carlos Eduardo Bueno Vargas, speaking on 4 April during a Sikorsky press conference.
LinkRepaired KC-390 test aircraft takes FIDAE bowA KC-390 aircraft that was grounded by Embraer for several months after an October flight test mishap returned to the spotlight as the star of the FIDAE air show. The tanker-transport made its debut at South America’s largest aerospace industry event eight years after the Chilean government committed to buy the aircraft.
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