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Ryanair recognizes trade unions in first cabin crew agreement
Ryanair has signed its first cabin crew recognition agreement, with the ANPAC and ANPAV unions in Italy, paving the way for the Irish LCC to represent its directly employed cabin crew in Italy. Ryanair has been forced to radically overhaul its approach to its workforce since a flight cancellations crisis sparked by a pilot rostering mix-up brought its tense relationship with staff into the spotlight.
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10- to 14-person Hyperloop pods to complement air travel
Mass transit system Virgin Hyperloop One is likely to operate 10- to 14-person pods, acting as an integrated transport system alongside airlines. The Hyperloop concept was originally introduced by US-based entrepreneur Elon Musk and SpaceX’s white paper in August 2013. It uses electric propulsion and magnetic levitation to move pods, carrying passengers and cargo, through a low-pressure tube. The pod lifts above the track, enabling it to glide at airline-type speeds of 671mph (1,080km/hr), quicker than any mass ground transport available today.
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Air China, Air Canada ink joint venture agreement
Air China has signed a joint venture (JV) agreement with Air Canada to enhance its position in the fast-growing Sino-Canada market. According to the JV, signed in Beijing June 6, Air China will strengthen its cooperation with Air Canada to optimize slots and airfares, conduct joint sales and marketing promotional activities, collaborate on frequent flyer programs (FFPs), and enhance airport lounge services on Sino-Canada routes.
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Big A350 booking lifts Airbus 2018 gross orders to 160 commercial jets
Airbus added firm orders for 24 commercial aircraft in May to its year-to-date gross total of 160 aircraft orders, including an end-of-month booking from an unidentified customer for 15 A350-900s valued at approximately $4.8 billion.
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Air China resumes Beijing-Pyongyang service
Air China has resumed its Beijing-Pyongyang, North Korea route, eight months after suspending the service last November after bookings declined. The route is operated 3X-weekly. Air China is currently the only carrier to operate this route, which was initially opened March 31, 2008. The international service was canceled in April 2017 because of what it called an “unsatisfactory booking situation.” The service was resumed a month later with twice-weekly flights, but was subsequently canceled again Nov. 22, 2017 for the same reason.
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LOT Polish Airlines increases 737 MAX fleet
Polish national carrier LOT is acquiring six more Boeing 737 MAX 8s as part of its fleet modernization plans. The airline said June 6 the aircraft are being taken on nine-year operating leases from Kuwaiti lessor ALAFCO. Five will be delivered this year, with the final example in 2020.
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Norway tries multiple remote tower operations
Norwegian air service provider Avinor and Spanish air traffic management equipment provider Indra have completed the first test in a series of validations to simultaneously manage traffic in multiple airports from a single remote position. Several single remote towers—in which air traffic control instructions are provided by a remotely located controller using a combination of radar and cameras at the airfield being controlled—have already been deployed in Scandinavia.
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Etihad goes double-daily with Paris A380s
Etihad Airways will make its double-daily service to Paris Charles De Gaulle (CDG) Airport an all-A380 route, effective Oct. 1, the airline said June 5. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier will make Paris CDG the second European destination after London Heathrow to have two daily A380 flights.
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Kuwait Airways to dispose of five aircraft
Kuwait Airways has appointed aircraft management, marketing and technical services specialist Skytech-AIC to sell five of its aircraft. UK-based Skytech-AIC will dispose of four Airbus A340-300s and a single Boeing 747-400. The A340s have been grounded for around a year, while the 747 is still in occasional service.
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SunExpress selects Immfly IFE platform
Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines joint venture SunExpress has signed up with Barcelona-based connectivity provider Immfly to provide passengers with a digital IFE platform in a move to improve passenger choice and ancillary revenues. SunExpress Entertainment will be rolled out across the Boeing 737-800NG and future MAX fleet, personalized for each passenger with an on-demand function via individual mobile devices and “designed with clear marketing and revenue optimization objectives,” Immfly said.
[url=atwonline.com/ife/sunexpress-selects-immfly-ife-platform?NL=ATW-04&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_8_5&elqTrack=true]Link[/url]

Airbus BelugaXL on track for first flight
Airbus said the BelugaXL has passed the ground vibration test (GVT), a requirement for certification of the aircraft that paves the way toward its maiden flight in summer 2018. “The objective of this test is to measure the dynamic behavior of the aircraft and confirm theoretical models of various flight conditions, such as maneuvering, flying in gusty conditions and landing. The test data also helps clear the aircraft’s flight envelope,” Airbus said in a statement.
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Closer inspection interval detected cracking on 747 pylon
Qantas’s decision to halve the time between inspections on the engine pylons of its Boeing 747-400 fleet allowed it to detect fatigue cracking before it became a safety issue. The affected 747, registered VH-OJT, was undergoing maintenance in Hong Kong on 5 October 2016 when an inspection of the number two engine pylon identified cracks that had started to develop in the outboard strut ribs in the torque box of the pylon.
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British Airways to suspend Calgary this winter
British Airways will suspend service to Calgary during the northern winter season, in what it calls a regular review of its schedule. The Oneworld carrier confirms that it will "temporarily" end its daily service to Calgary from London Heathrow operated by a Boeing 787-9 on 27 October. It does not say when service will resume after the IATA winter season, which runs from October to March 2019.
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MRJ to make flying-display debut at Farnborough
Mitsubishi Aircraft intends to display the MRJ in an air-show flying programme for the first time at this year's Farnborough air show. The manufacturer revealed in April that it was planning to bring the Pratt & Whitney PW1200G-powered regional twinjet to Farnborough and hoped to demonstrate the aircraft in the daily flying display. In its latest communication on its press conference schedule for the air show, Mitsubishi confirms the plan for the MRJ to perform a daily flight display from the opening day on 16 July.
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Cayman promotes aircraft registry's new commercial offering
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands (CAACI) is out in force at the show to promote the island’s aircraft registry to private and commercial operators of business aircraft in Europe. CAACI, in partnership with the Cayman Enterprise City, is touting the benefits of establishing “a principal place of business” at its Cayman Maritime and Aviation city.
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Piaggio developing successor to P.1HH UAV
Piaggio has revealed it is working with partner Leonardo on a new version of its P.1HH HammerHead unmanned air vehicle. It comes as the Italian airframer winds up its flight test programme and prepares to hand over the first of eight examples of the medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) system to launch customer the United Arab Emirates.
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Airline Routes

Russia’s Aeroflot Airline inked a codeshare agreement with Aerolineas Argentinas, launching a joint daily Moscow-Buenos Aires service June 1. The flights are operated with a transfer in Madrid. Aeroflot operates the leg between Moscow and Madrid on Airbus A320/A321 and Boeing 737 aircraft, while Aerolineas Argentinas operates the Madrid-Buenos Aires leg using Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft.

Ukraine International Airlines will relaunch twice-weekly Vilnius-Odessa Boeing 737-800 service from July 13.

Hong Kong Airlines and El Al Israel Airlines entered into a codeshare agreement. Subject to government approval, Hong Kong Airlines will place its HX code on El Al’s flights between Hong Kong and Tel Aviv. Reciprocally, El Al will add its LY code on Hong Kong Airlines flights between Hong Kong and Auckland in New Zealand, Tokyo (Narita) and Osaka in Japan, as well as Seoul in South Korea.

Hong Kong Airlines began daily Hong Kong-Manila service.

Hawaiian Airlines began daily Honolulu-Long Beach Airbus A321neo service.

Cyprus Airways launched weekly seasonal Prague-Larnaca Airbus A319 service through October. A second weekly frequency will be added July 2.

LaudaMotion began Hamburg-Palma de Mallorca Airbus A320 service.

Air Italy began daily Milan-New York JFK service. Air Italy will begin 4X-weekly Miami-Milan Malpensa service June 8.

Air Astana launched 3X-weekly Astana-Tyumen Embraer E190 service; and 1X-weekly Astana-Kazan service.

Volotea began twice-weekly Munich-Montpellier Boeing 717 service.

Aviation Quote

Whatever the lengths to which others may go, His Majesty's Government will never resort to the deliberate attack on women and children and other civilians for purposes of mere terrorism.

- British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, House of Commons, 14 September 1939.

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Trivia

General Trivia

1. What was the first American aircraft manufacturer to commercially produce airplanes?

2. A pilot lands during poor visibility on a runway with white centerline lighting. During the roll-out and when the white lights begin to alternate with red lights, he/she knows that therer are ________ feet of runway remaining. When the alternating red and white lights become red only, there are only _______ feet of runway remaining.

A. 3,000; 1,500
B. 3,000; 1,000
C. 2,500; 1,500
D. 2,000; 1,000

3. What WW2 combat aircraft had the shortest missions?

4. What was the heaviest single-engine, piston-powered airplane ever produced in the United States?

5. Many unimproved airports have a "runway halfway" sign to indicate the midpoint of a runway. According to the Aeronautical Information Manual, what rule of thumb can a departing pilot use to enhance safety when departing from such a runway?

6. A pilot shuts down an engine, but it continues to run in an irregular manner for some time after the ignition is turned off. In an automobile, this is called dieseling. When it occurs in an airplane, it is called ________ and caused by ________.