NewsAccidents/Incidents
Russia claims it intercepted long-retired Italian airplane
According to the Russian Defence Ministry, an Italian Breguet BR-1150 Atlantic approached its state border on August 14, prompting the Southern Military District to scramble a Su-27 jet fighter. But the Italian Navy’s Atlantics were retired in 2017.
“An intrusion into the territory of Russian Federation was prevented. After the Italian spy plane turned away from the border, Su-27 returned to its base,” Russian National Defence Management centre claimed, as reported by the state informational agency TASS. Italian Ministry of Defence denied the presence of any of its aircraft in the region, let alone the type not operated for many years.
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FedEx Boeing 767F performs emergency landing, pilot injured
A FedEx Boeing 767F performed an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the early hours of August 19, 2020, after suffering from a reported landing gear failure.
The aircraft, registered N146FE, was en route from Newark (EWR) to Los Angeles (LAX) when the landing gear issue was detected.
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Suspected Poisoning Leads To S7 Boeing 737 Diversion
This morning, an S7 flight from Tomsk to Moscow was diverted to Omsk after Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was taken seriously ill. The plane was only one hour into its flight when it performed an emergency landing. Mr Navalny was unconscious upon arrival in Omsk and was rushed to the hospital immediately. He is currently in a coma but his doctors say he is stable.
LinkCommercial
The Airbus & Boeing Battle Between 2 & 4 Engined Jets
Today, twinjet aircraft are increasingly becoming more commonplace on long-haul routes. However, at a time, there were concerns about the safety of only having two engines on longer distances, especially over the oceans. This factor is a worry that Airbus once played into.
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The Airbus A380plus: The Superjumbo That Never Was
The Airbus A380plus is the aircraft that could have made a real change to the lifespan of the A380, and yet, it never made it to production. With Airbus shutting down A380 assembly lines, we take a look at the superjumbo jet that never was.
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The World's Largest Turboprop Aircraft
Did you know that the world’s largest turboprop aircraft is still in active use? The Antonov An-22 “Antei” is used mainly by the Russian military and is an impressive aircraft. Why was it built, and what can it do? Let explore.
LinkAirlines
Qantas Sees International Service Grounded until July 2021
Qantas expects the majority of its international capacity to remain grounded until the middle of next year as the airline grapples with persisting border restrictions and quarantine requirements due to Covid-19, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said during the company’s year-end earnings webcast for fiscal year 2020.
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American to cut domestic network to 15 US cities
American Airlines announced to be removing services to 15 cities in the United States due to low demand. The network cuts come into effect starting from October 7, 2020.
On August 20, 2020, American Airlines released a statement stating that it would suspend service to some domestic destinations as a result of “low demand and the expiration of the air service requirements associated with Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economy Security (CARES) act.”
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Qantas reports “devastating” financial year due to A380 write-off
FY2020 was devastating for Qantas Group, whose financial results attribute more than half of its almost $2 billion statutory loss to the depreciation of aircraft value.
On August 20, 2020, Australian airline Qantas officially joined the long list of airlines that are tanking the toughest financial year in aviation history.
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Vistara 1st Airbus A321neo enters service
Vistara’s brand new Airbus A321neo will debut on a domestic route between Delhi and Chennai on August 20, 2020.
The launch flight UK833 is scheduled between Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and Chennai International Airport (MAA) on august 20, 2020. The A321neo will operate on domestic routes for a limited time, before being deployed on international routes.
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Inconsistent Recovery Leads Southwest To Cut October Schedules
In a regulatory filing released Wednesday, Southwest Airlines said it expects its October capacity to decrease up to 45%. Like many carriers, it is struggling with the erratic recovery of the US domestic market due to spikes in coronavirus cases.
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British Airways Prepares To Retire Final Boeing 777-200
British Airways is preparing to retire its last of three original Boeing 777-200 aircraft. The British flag carrier will be left with many of the extended range version. The 777-200 retirements began before the current crisis that has brought the airline industry to its knees.
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Delta Will Block All Middle Seats Until January 2021
Delta Air Lines has raised the bar on inflight social distancing, pledging to block the middle seat through to January 2021. The airline says this is to give confidence to passengers considering winter holidays and has extended its change fee waiver for an additional layer of confidence.
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Emirates Eyes 100% Route Recovery By Next Summer
UAE airline Emirates is hoping to operate 100% of its network by this time next year, according to comments made by the airline’s COO today. The airline suffered a complete suspension of operations earlier this year as the UAE government banned passenger flights to halt the spread of COVID-19.
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airBaltic Delays Airbus A220 Deliveries
The world’s only all-Airbus A220 operator, airBaltic, has slightly put the brakes on the arrival of new aircraft. Of the 30 firm orders placed for the aircraft, two have arrived and a further three will be delivered by the end of the year. However, the full 30 were expected to be completed by 2023, but this will now be pushed back to early 2024.
LinkAirports
Anchorage: The Cargo Mega Airport Eyes More Passengers
The current pandemic has thrust Anchorage into the spotlight, with the airport becoming one of the busiest in the world earlier this year. As a mega hub for cargo flights, Anchorage has seen a significant uptick in traffic as airlines pivot to carrying freight instead of passengers. This success has pushed the airport to try and establish itself as a passenger hub too. So, can the airport pull it off ?
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Schiphol Airport introduces faster passenger connection service
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) is now offering travellers with a short connection time the possibility to get through the queues at security and passport control faster.
New self-service units have been installed at two piers where many connecting passengers arrive.
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Oslo Airport opens COVID-19 testing centre for arriving passengers
Working in partnership with the municipality of Ullensaker, a coronavirus testing centre has been established in the baggage hall at Oslo Airport (OSL).
The service is available for use by passengers arriving from abroad who wish to take a COVID-19 test upon arrival in Norway.
LinkMilitary
Secretive Boeing Loyal Wingman prepares for taxi trials
The first prototype of the stealth unmanned aerial vehicle known as the Loyal Wingman, developed by Boeing Defence Australia, was spotted on a runway for the first time.
The Airpower Teaming System (ATS) was seen preparing for taxi trials at an undisclosed location, which could be the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Amberley.
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Luftwaffe takes delivery of world’s first A350 governmental plane
The Luftwaffe, the German Air Force, took delivery from Lufthansa Technik of the first new Airbus A350 due to operate as a governmental aircraft.
The handover took place in Hamburg, in presence of the Federal Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. In total, three A350-900 aircraft were ordered by the federal government. The other two machines are expected to be completed by 2022. They will replace the two Luftwaffe A340s that currently constitute the backbone of the German governmental fleet.
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The Navy Is Finally Creating America's Next Fighter Jet
The U.S. Navy is laying the groundwork to field a new fighter jet sometime in the next decade. The Next Generation Air Dominance fighter, meant to replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, should start flying off America’s aircraft carriers in the 2030s. But a declining defense budget and short timetable could mean the best candidate is ... the F-35.
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Aviation Quote
To affirm that the aeroplane is going to 'revolutionize' navel warfare of the future is to be guilty of the wildest exaggeration.
- Scientific American, 16 July 1910.
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WW2 AXIS Scramble
1. AIICH
2. SIITHMIUBS
3. ANAIJKAM
4. PRNCAIO
5. TAIF
6. HIRTACMTE
7. SEIEMSMRTSTC
8. UERJNSK
9. ELEISERF
10. ENKEHLI
