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Boeing: Pilots positive on proposed 737 MAX software changes
Boeing said pilot feedback on the proposed software changes to the 737 MAX maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS) flight control law is positive. After demonstrations, the US manufacturer said pilots believe the potential for further flight control problems from the system is a “non-issue.” Despite the positive response from pilots to the upgraded control system and associated training package, Boeing is gearing up for a prolonged international effort to ...
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Routes Europe 2019: Data is the new driver for airlines
Airlines are increasingly becoming data analytics companies that want to use data for a deeper understanding of their markets.
Delivering opening remarks at the Routes Europe conference in Hannover April 8, ASM managing director David Stroud said European airlines and airports were experiencing headwinds, with some smaller airlines failing, air traffic management issues, and uncertainty generated by Brexit.
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ANALYSIS: March 2019 Asia-Pacific deliveries report
Asia-Pacific airlines received 53 of the 124 commercial aircraft delivered during the month of March.
Airlines in Europe followed with 32 deliveries and airlines in the USA taking 24 new aircraft, according to Cirium’s Fleets Analyzer.
Airlines in the Middle East took seven new aircraft, while those in Africa took five and Latin America three.
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American extends MAX-related cancellations through June 5
American Airlines is extending the flight cancellations caused by the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet through June 5. About 90 daily flights have been canceled, the airline said April 7. American earlier said the flights would be canceled through April 24. The Dallas/Fort Worth-based carrier said the extension was “an effort to provide more certainty and avoid last-minute flight disruptions.”
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Deadline for Alitalia offer extended to April 30
The deadline for Italian railway company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) to present a binding offer for Alitalia was extended to April 30 by the government and the commissioners managing the bankrupt carrier, Italian media reported.
Alitalia filed for bankruptcy in May 2017 and the subsequent process of finding one or more investors to turn the airline around has been long and complicated.
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China Airlines seeks compensation for ground handling incidents
Taiwan’s China Airlines (CAL) is seeking compensation from Australia’s Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, after two ground handling incidents resulted in significant delays for the carrier’s return flights, according to CAL spokesperson Jason Liu.
On the evening of April 2, Liu said a baggage carrier vehicle from another flight struck the nose wheel of CAL’s Airbus A350-900, which was preparing for the return flight to Taipei.
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Routes Europe 2019: A220 enables airBaltic’s network growth
Riga-based carrier airBaltic is opening new routes on a scope and scale that would not have been possible without the Airbus A220-300 that is rapidly becoming the mainstay of its fleet.
AirBaltic SVP-network management Wolfgang Reuss, addressing the Routes Europe conference in Hannover April 8, explained that the Latvian carrier made the decision to phase out its Boeing 737s and Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 turboprops so it can operate an all-A220 fleet.
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Uganda Airlines firms Airbus A330-800 order
Airbus secured a second firm order for the Airbus A330-800 after Uganda Airlines firmed up an earlier MOU.
So far only one airline, Kuwait Airways, had placed a firm commitment for the smaller version of the A330neo family. Kuwait plans to take eight of the aircraft. So far, most orders are for the larger A330-900, for which there are 230 commitments.
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PICTURES: Virgin Atlantic unveils new seating for A350-1000 fleet
Virgin Atlantic has unveiled the new Upper Class suite that will feature in its incoming A350-1000 fleet, alongside new products across the cabin.
The lie-flat, direct-aisle-access seat – essentially the carrier's business-class offering – is manufactured by Safran and arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration.
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Virgin Atlantic to deploy A350-1000 on JFK route
Virgin Atlantic will deploy its first Airbus A350-1000 to New York John F Kennedy from London Heathrow.
It expects to receive the aircraft in "late summer".
The UK-based carrier confirmed the route choice during a launch event for the aircraft in Gatwick today, where it unveiled a new Upper Class suite as part of a complete revamp of its cabin on the incoming aircraft.
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United adds A321XLR as possible 757 replacement
United Airlines has added the possible long-range Airbus "A321XLR" to its list of replacement options for some of its aging Boeing 757s, as it aims to replace the middle-of-the-market portion of its fleet in the next decade.
The Chicago-based carrier estimates a need for 30-40 mid-market aircraft to replace both 757s and Boeing 767s from the mid-2020s, United president Scott Kirby told employees in a video of a San Francisco town hall held at the end of March that was viewed by FlightGlobal.
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Jewel Changi Airport set to open next week
Singapore Changi's much hyped and eagerly-awaited mega retail and lifestyle development, Jewel Changi Airport, is set to open on April 17.
Designed by a consortium comprising Safdie Architects, led by world renowned architect Moshe Safdie, as well as architects from RSP Architects Planners and Engineers and Benoy, Jewel will feature a distinctive dome-shaped façade made of glass and steel.
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Innovative new retail outlets open at Amsterdam Schiphol and Catania airports
It has been a busy few days for Gebr Heinemann with its subsidiaries in the Netherlands and Italy opening new outlets at Amsterdam Schiphol and Catania-Fontanarossa airports respectively.
At Amsterdam Schiphol, Schiphol Airport Retail – a joint venture between Gebr Heinemann and the Royal Schiphol Group – has unveiled the new look of its Exquisite Shop.
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BLOG: US Airports launching huge renovation projects
The United States has incredibly busy airports – in fact, some of the busiest in the world. That’s good, because it indicates that many of the more than four billion global air passengers each year are flying in or out of America.
However, a sobering statistic is troubling. America no longer has a single airport listed in the top 25 best airports in the world, according to Skytrax.
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Sikorsky upbeat on S-92B and autonomy in Asia-Pacific
Sikorsky is optimistic about the prospects of its new S-92B variant in Asia-Pacific, and is also engaging the region with its urban mobility ideas.
The company kept the S-92B under tight wraps prior to its launch at HAI Heli-Expo in Atlanta last month, so discussions with Asia-Pacific customers are still at an early stage, says Christoph Nurit, who heads sales for Sikorsky in Asia-Pacific.
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Poland to acquire AW101 helicopters for anti-submarine duties
Warsaw will sign a production contract with Leonardo Helicopters later this month covering its purchase of AW101s configured for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) duties with the Polish navy.
Polish defence minister Mariusz Blaszczak confirmed the planned buy on 8 April, stating that Warsaw intends to finalise an order during April. The acquisition is believed to include four AW101s.
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ANALYSIS: Drone delivery of bread and bullets for the US Army
Seeking methods to keep their manned aircraft away from adversaries' long-range precision weapons, the US Army is looking at ways to rapidly resupply frontline platoons and squads with weapons, ammunition and other essential supplies using autonomous cargo drones.
After studying its logistical operations in Afghanistan over the past few years, the service believes it can use unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) to respond to the needs of small but vital units on the battlefield – effectively cutting out layers of military bureaucracy and logistical problems by allowing soldiers to call up supplies on demand.
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RAAF to lease three Dassault 7X for VVIP mission
The Royal Australian Air Force will lease three Dassault 7X business jets as VVIP transports.
“Following a review, Defence will lease three new Dassault Falcon 7X aircraft to replace the three existing Bombardier CL604 Challengers,” says the Australian Department of Defence.
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Aviation Quote
I don't see it as a risk, I see it as living.
- Victoria Principal, actress and skin-care promoter, regards her planned 2009 Virgin Galactic ride. She was the first woman to call Richard Branson and buy a US $200,000 ticket. Reported in People magazine, 18 June 2007.
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. What was the largest, heaviest and most powerful American Production fighter of WW2?
2. Five American Aircraft Carriers have been converted into floating museums. What are their names and where are they located?
3. Which of the following is not true?
A) The 172 was Cessna's first production airplane to be equipped with a tricycle landing gear.
B) The Hawker Siddeley Trident was the first production airplane with an autoland system.
C) On early models of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, the tail gunner could bail out of the aircraft by jettisoning the entire turret.
D) The pilot of the An-2 Colt, can use an on-board compressor to vary the air pressure in the oleo struts to suit the type of surface on which he/she intends to land.
4. Why does moving the center of gravity forward make an airplane more stable in the pitch and yaw axis?
5. During W2, Germany launched V-1 buzz bombs from northern France towards London. These pilotless aircraft incorporated an autopilot to keep the airplane pointed in the target's direction. Without a navigation system, how did the bomb "know" when they were over the target?
