NewsAccidents/Incidents
Cargo plane crashes in dense forest, four people killed
A Let L-410 cargo plane crashed shortly before arrival at Bukavu-Kavumu Airport, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The two pilots and two passengers were killed.
The plane, owned by the company Agefreco Air, was carrying out a domestic flight from Kalima-Kakungwa Airport (KLY) to Bukavu-Kavumu Airport (BKY), both in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on August 13, 2020.
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Emirates Boeing 777 Door Damaged In Manila After Jetbridge Malfunction
An Emirates Boeing 777-300ER was damaged in Manila after a jetbridge malfunctioned. The aircraft was at the gate when it seems that, while the door was opened, there was a malfunction that almost ripped the door off earlier this week. Repairs will be necessary, and the aircraft is probably at least a few days out from reentering commercial service.
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SAS Boeing 737-800 Diverts Over Computer Fan Error Messages
A Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) Boeing 737-800 had to return to Oslo on Friday, August 14, 2020, after several aircraft computer fans started showing error messages. SAS flight number SK-4490 was cruising at 37,000 en route from Oslo to Longyearbyen in the arctic circle when 30 nautical miles southeast of Trondheim, several of the plane’s computer fans started sending unusual error messages.
LinkCommercial
Malta International Airshow postponed 2021
On Tuesday 11 August 2020, the Malta Aviation Society committee is forced to announce the cancellation of the Malta International Airshow 2020. The committee with an announcement both on social media and on their online platform, following the situation due to Covid19 with an increase of cases at European level and the decision of the Maltese government to ban public events, could only postpone the event to next year.
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Tesla’s new batteries get electric aircraft closer to reality?
Electricity-based urban aviation is getting closer to reality as lithium batteries’ energy density increases, new Tesla research suggests.
The paper released by Canada-based researchers on August 10, 2020, infers a nearing of a breakthrough in battery efficiency technology, possibly paving the way for the future of both urban and commercial electric aircraft. But that dream could still prove to be further from our grasp.
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Your Smartphone Has More Memory Than A Boeing 747
Since the late 70’s commercial aircraft have used onboard computers to help simplify the operations within the flight deck. The addition of Flight Management Computers has lessened the workload of the flight crew and has removed the need for engineers and navigators. But did you know that the vast majority of these computers would be mega out-brained by even the simplest of modern smartphones ?
LinkAirlines
Azul showcases $186 million cash increase amid losses
Brazilian airline Azul revealed a net increase in cash during Q2 FY2021 while avoiding any new loans.
The Barueri based carrier announced the first-half net loss of R$9 billion ($1.65 billion) on August 13, 2020. Azul, like other airlines, faced the most financially difficult year due to the COVID-19 crisis, attributing its losses to reduced passenger revenue, which declined by 88.65% in comparison to the previous year’s Q2.
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Middle Eastern rivalry: Qatar Airways and Emirates endless dance
Qatar Airways and Emirates go head-to-head in rebuilding their previous network sizes in the wake of COVID-19’ initial wave.
The two Middle Eastern giants, Qatar Airways and Emirates, mid-July 2020 have showcased increasing competitiveness, going back and forth to take the top network position. Looking at the last 30 days of airlines’ press releases for comparison, from July 15, 2020, to August 13, 2020, Qatar has reopened 16 of its previous destinations while Emirates topped that with a total of 20 of its own. As of August 13, 2020, Qatar’s total network connects 80 destinations against the Emirates’ 75.
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The New Alitalia Could Operate Boeing 787s and A320s
As the new Alitalia looks to the future, CEO Fabio Maria Lazzerini and company president, Francesco Caio are reportedly looking to buy Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s. After years of losses and a bloated workforce, the Italian government decided to launch a NewCo to restart the country’s national airline to support the tourism industry.
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KLM Adds Poznan As Fifth Polish Destination
KLM has announced that it will be adding a new route to Poland, its fifth city in the country. The Dutch airline shared in a press release on August 13th that the move was part of a cautious schedule improvement. Earlier this year, the airline suffered its largest-ever financial setback and is now battling the COVID-19 effect.
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Which Airlines Fly The Airbus A330neo?
The Airbus A330neo widebody aircraft has proved popular with airlines since its first appearance at the Farnborough Airshow in 2014. It offers airlines improved economics and fuel efficiency over the previous A330-200 and A330-300ceo generation. Here we’ll take a look at the aircraft and which airlines have it in their fleet or have placed orders.
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Cathay Pacific Group Sees Just 23.4% Of Seats Filled In July
Yesterday, August 14th, The Cathay Pacific Group (consisting of Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon) released its combined traffic figures for July 2020. The company notes that these numbers reflected the carriers’ continued substantial capacity reductions in response to significantly reduced demand.
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Vistara Takes Delivery Of Its Second Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Vistara is set to take delivery of its second Boeing 787 later today. The aircraft left Boeing’s facility in Everett, Washington, at 07:40 local time and is expected to touch down in Delhi in the next few hours. The delivery also coincides with India’s Independence Day, a well-timed move by Vistara.
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Alaska Airlines Grew Passenger Numbers Over 150% From May To July
Alaska Airlines has released an update on its performance trends. The carrier increased its passenger counts from May to July by over 150%. Also, from May to July, the airline increased its available capacity, passenger load factor, and revenue. While the situation remains fluid and capacity and revenue remain far below what it was in 2020, Alaska is expecting August to be a continuation of most trends, with some exceptions.
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Which US Airlines Are Using Sustainable Aviation Fuel?
Yesterday, Finnish energy company Neste announced that it would be supplying sustainable aviation fuel to three major US airlines. With renewable jet fuel’s ability to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many are seeing this as one big step in achieving emissions output targets and moving towards more sustainable operations. So, which airlines in the United States are using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) ?
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Lack Of Ongoing Aid May Prompt American Airlines To Cut Flights
As the conditions surrounding the CARES Act loans come to an end, American Airlines is preparing to cut services. Reportedly, the airline is looking to scrap routes to around 30 US destinations for its fall schedule. While no specific routes have been confirmed, it’s thought an announcement might happen as soon as next week regarding flights after the September 30th deadline.
LinkAirports
China Presses Ahead with Airport Infrastructure Boom
As airports across the globe continue to face unprecedented revenue pressure following a near collapse in air connectivity, China continues to buck the trend with a surge of new airport development projects across the mainland.
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How Have Major Airports Fared In The Recovery ?
As countries emerge out of lockdown, more and more passengers will be looking to travel. That will put financial woes at ease for airports. However, the nature of the virus means that airports are not seeing as quick of a return to normalcy as otherwise hoped. How are the world’s major airports faring amidst the pandemic ? Let’s take a look.
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How Long Do I Need To Transfer Between Gatwick And Heathrow ?
Gatwick and Heathrow are the busiest airports in the United Kingdom. In 2019, over 126 million passengers were served by the two London hubs. The pair connect passengers to many key destinations across the globe. However, travelers often find themselves having to transfer between them during their journeys. How long is needed to travel between the airports ?
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Berlin's New Airport Gets Security Sweep Ahead Of October Opening
A security sweep of Berlin’s new airport began yesterday. The detailed search of the premises marks a key milestone in preparing the long-delayed airport for opening. The airport was supposed to begin operations in 2011. However, almost a decade later, the airport is still yet to open.
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St Helena Airport: Useful, Lifechanging, Gamechanging !
There’s nothing fun about being branded the ‘world’s most useless airport,’ particularly when that notion is so far away from the truth. But, despite four years of successful operations and barely a cancellation, Saint Helena Airport still struggles to shake the label.
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Clark To Receive Its First Airbus A380 Flight Thanks To Emirates
Clark in the Philippines is set to receive its very first Airbus A380 service. Emirates, the Dubai based airline, will operate a one-off flight with the world’s largest passenger aircraft on Wednesday. The flight is being laid on to meet exceptional demand.
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Dubai Airport Is Now Using Dogs To Sniff Out COVID-19
It’s relatively common knowledge that animals are in tune with aspects of nature that seem undetectable by us humans. This might range from erratic behavior before an earthquake to hearing high-pitched sounds. At the airport, dogs and their sensitive noses have been mainly deployed to sniff out explosives and drugs. However, the Dubai Police K9 unit is now being used to sniff out COVID-19.
LinkMilitary
Did 'Memphis Belle' Really Show the B-17 Bomber's Final Mission?
One of the most famous wartime documentaries of all time, Memphis Belle, purports to show the final mission of the B-17 heavy bomber. Historians have known for some time that the film was stitched together from footage of several missions, but they've always wondered: Did the documentary actually show footage from the B-17's final mission over Wilhelmshaven, Germany? A new investigation finally reveals the answer.
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Russia Is Rushing To Field Its First Combat Drone
Russia is pushing its new unmanned combat aerial vehicle out the door and into the hands of the military sooner than expected. The S-70 Okhotnik (“Hunter”) drone will enter service with the Russian Aerospace Force a year earlier than planned, in 2024. That means Hunter could become the first high-performance combat drone designed for large-scale conventional warfare to enter service with any country.
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Air Force Produces First 3D-Printed Engine Part
The U.S. Air Force has 3D-printed its first metal part for a jet engine. The replacement part, made for the engine that powers the B-52 Stratofortress bomber, will keep the plane flying until new engines are fitted to the aging jets in the late 2020s.
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Lufthansa Technik orders two Airbus A321LR for Luftwaffe
Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) has won the first A321LR order for two aircraft from Lufthansa Technik.
The aircraft will be multi-role capable and can be equipped for various types of missions, such as troop transport, different MedEvac role setups (medical evacuation) and will be operated by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe).
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Aviation Quote
I decided there must be room for another airline when I spent two days trying to get through to People Express.
- Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic.
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Trivia
General Knowledge
1. What is the difference between a squawk and a squit?
2. A pilot preflights his airplane after a clear night and just before sunrise. There is frost on the wings, but no ice or moisture on the ground. How is this possible.
3. During WW2, certain members for the US Army Air Forces referred to other members as their “Little Friends.” Who were their “Little Friends” and who referred to them in that manner?
4. What is the World record for the highest altitude attained by an airplane powered by an air-breathing turbine engine and what was the type of aircraft used?
5. True or false, when a pressurized airplane is in cruise flight, the amount of air entering the cabin is greater tan the amount of air leaving the aircraft.
