NewsWestJet 737 Max 8 in new liveryPhotographs have surfaced of a WestJet Boeing 737 Max 8 in the airline's new livery, giving an initial look at a paint scheme that the Calgary-based airline rolled out in May. At the time, WestJet released digitally-rendered images of the livery on a 787-9, but it has not yet released actual photographs.
LinkEASA mandate grows to cover ‘full aviation landscape’ including drones Under a new regulation due to come into force in coming weeks, the mandate of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will widen to include drones and urban air mobility. The new Basic Regulation formalizes EASA’s role in the domain of drones (referred to as ‘unmanned vehicles’ in the Basic Regulation text) and urban air mobility, enabling EASA to prepare rules for all sizes of civil drones and harmonize standards for the commercial market across Europe, the agency said.
LinkUS program will monitor responses to sonic booms NASA is planning to fly a low-boom supersonic demonstrator over selected areas of the US to collect information on public acceptance of the noise. Community response data gathered by NASA’s Low Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) program will be provided to FAA and ICAO to help define a standard for en route noise that would permit civil supersonic flight over land.
LinkHong Kong Airport sets traffic and cargo records Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) boosted its passenger total by 4.5% to 73.6 million in its fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, according to its annual report. HKIA also increased flight movements by 3.2% to 423,390, and cargo volume was up by 7.6% to 5.1 million tons. All three totals beat previous records, the airport said.
LinkBali airport reopens, but airlines differ on ash risk The main airport for Bali, Indonesia has reopened after a temporary closure caused by a volcanic ash cloud, but airlines are taking different views on whether to resume operations. Many carriers began canceling flights to Bali June 28 because of concerns about ash from the Mt. Agung volcano. Indonesian authorities announced that Bali’s Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport would be closed between 3am and 7pm June 29, causing many more cancelations. However, the airport reopened earlier than expected at 2.30pm, when the risk from the ash cloud diminished.
LinkUS FAA orders PW1100G checks for fan-hub damageUS safety regulators are ordering inspections of the fan hub on Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines, to check for defects or cracks. The US FAA states that its directive – which takes effect on 11 July – has been prompted by reports of damage to the fan hub.
LinkCabin pressurisation fault resulted in Lion Air 737 diversionIndonesia’s safety investigators are probing a pressurisation system problem onboard a Lion Air Boeing 737-900ER that resulted in the aircraft having to make a diversion during a routine domestic flight.
LinkOman Air receives 787 featuring new first-class suites Oman Air has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9, with a brand-new three-class interior. The Middle Eastern carrier already has four 787-8s and three -9s in service, all configured with two classes, the airline's website indicates.
LinkFirst Airbus ACJ320neo enters final assemblyThe first Airbus ACJ320neo has entered final assembly in Hamburg, Germany, and is on schedule for delivery to its UK customer, Acropolis Aviation, in the fourth quarter. The Farnborough-headquartered luxury charter company launched the VIP version of the A320neo in 2015, and selected the CFM International Leap-1A engine for the aircraft in 2017.
LinkTextron Aviation calls time on Citation X after 22-year runTextron Aviation is halting production of the Cessna Citation X+, ending a 22-year run for the super-midsize business jet and its Citation X predecessor. The announcement follows several years of low delivery output for the Rolls-Royce AE 3007C-powered all-metal aircraft – the fastest business jet on the market with a top speed of Mach 0.935.
LinkNorthrop Grumman enters full-rate production on F-35 fuselageNorthrop Grumman entered full-rate production on the F-35 Lightning II’s centre fuselage at its Palmdale, California facility in May in order to meet increasing order quantities from the Pentagon and international customers. The company said the 400th center fuselage was completed and delivered to F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin last month. Production of the 500th center fuselage began the week of 18 June.
LinkTrump guarantees F-35 deliveries to Ankara, says Turkish ministerTurkey’s foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu says in a TV interview that US president Donald Trump personally promised to ensure the delivery of the Lockheed Martin F-35A to his country.
LinkHungary orders 20 H145M helicopters with HForceHungary has become the second confirmed customer for Airbus Helicopters' HForce common weapons platform, with an order for 20 H145M medium-twins equipped with the system. No details on the contract value or delivery timelines have been disclosed, however. In addition, no information on the weapons specification for the rotorcraft has been provided.
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