NewsAccidents/Incidents
Meraj Airlines Airbus A320 Returns Twice Due To Hydraulic Leak
A Meraj Airlines Airbus A320 flying domestic service between Tehran and Kermanshah, Iran, experienced two consecutive diversions due to a hydraulic leak issue. The incident is said to have taken place on September 16th with the 20-year old narrowbody.
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Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Rejects Takeoff Due To Bird Strike
On Tuesday, September 15th, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 had to conduct a rejected takeoff after its left-hand engine suffered a bird strike. The aircraft slowed and vacated the runway where it was met by emergency services on a taxiway. The plane was flying from Milwaukee (Wisconsin) to Orlando (Florida).
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Passengers leave & re-enter Flybe Embraer E195 during evacuation
Smoke and fumes invading Flybe Embraer 195 cabin resulted in an emergency evacuation. During the event, some passengers exited and re-entered the aircraft while others sustained minor injuries trying to leave via overwing doors and rear slides, Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) reported on September 17, 2020.
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Taiwan scrambles fighters to intercept Chinese strategic bombers
The Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan reported that no less than eighteen Chinese military aircraft crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait on September 18, 2020. As a response, fighter jets were scrambled for an interception.
LinkCommercial
What Are The Different Kinds Of Winglets ?
Winglets are now a mainstay in commercial aviation. However, their journey has come a long way over the decades. Even though they have been conceptualized for over a century, the 747-400 was the first commercial plane ever to feature these devices. Boeing highlights that the aircraft’s winglets increased its range by 3.5% over the 747-300. Currently, what are the primary different types of winglets ? Let’s take a look.
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First New-Build ATR 72 Freighter Takes Flight
ATR took its new ATR 72-600F purpose-built regional freighter on its first flight on Wednesday from its Saint-Martin site in Toulouse, France, the company said in a statement. The flight took off at 2 pm local time and lasted two hours. During the flight, crewmembers onboard performed a number of tests to measure the new aircraft’s flight envelope and flight performance.
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Preserved Boeing 747s Around the World
The Boeing 747 first flew in 1969, more than 50 years ago. It went on to become one of the most iconic airliners of all time.
Yet sadly, the future of the aircraft is in doubt, with very few aircraft orders left to be built and a global downturn in aviation forcing airlines to focus on smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft types. [...]
There are, thankfully, lots of Boeing 747s that have been preserved in museums and for other uses. So we will be able to see and visit the aircraft for a long time.
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Could stretch have saved Airbus A380 ?
It is more than likely that the days of the Airbus A380 are numbered. As international air travel remains largely in shambles, and with no short-term recovery in sight, airlines have put their A380s into long-term, or even worse, permanent storage. Even before the current crisis, however, its days were coming to an end, as no secondary market was on the horizon for ex-airline units.
LinkAirlines
Comair’s Business Rescue Plan Approved With December Restart
Earlier this week, Comair welcomed good news as shareholders voted to implement its business rescue plan. The airline has been in limbo since May when it entered voluntary business rescue to prevent bankruptcy.
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El Al Prepares To Reopen Passenger Flights From October
This week, El Al has announced that it will begin flights to select international destinations from October. The Israeli airline has been hampered by tight coronavirus restrictions but hopes next month will see some return to normalcy.
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Brazil Approves Delta And LATAM's Joint Venture
Delta and LATAM’s joint venture has received preliminary approval from the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE). The Brazilian competition authority approved the trans-American joint venture on Thursday, paving the way for deeper cooperation between Delta and LATAM’s Brazilian branch.
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Owner of WOW Air brand intends to take bite of Icelandair stake
The owner of the WOW Air brand, US entrepreneur Michelle Ballarin, intends to purchase a 25% stake in Icelandair. The entrepreneur has signed up for $51.2 million (ISK 7 billion) in Icelandair shares. The move fuelled speculation that two airlines might be merged in the future.
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Flights to nowhere: stop before it takes off
One of the newest ways that some airlines look to earn revenue is by launching “flights to nowhere”, whereupon passengers take scenic flights that take-off and land in the same location.
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Former British Airways Boeing 747s Heading To Rossiya Airlines
Seven of British Airways retired Boeing 747s are heading to Russia. As most people know by now, British Airways is retiring its entire fleet of 747s, but not all of them are heading to the scrapyard. Seven will are going to be delivered to Russian carrier Rossiya Airlines within the next two months. By taking the seven 747-400s, Rossiya will have a total of 16 747-400s in its fleet.
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Europe’s Shortest Flights: 10 Under 85 Miles Long
The beauty of Europe is the ease of travel between different countries and their distinct cultures. Pre-COVID, the leisure market in and around Europe, was very popular, prompting the need for short flights between top destinations. Here are 10 of Europe’s shortest trips.
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SWISS Takes Its First Airbus A321neo
On Friday, September 18th, SWISS took delivery of its very first A321neo from Airbus. The brand new aircraft flew from Airbus’ Hamburg Finkenwerder assembly plant to SWISS’ Zurich hub. This marks the first of a total of eight A321neos ordered by the Lufthansa Group airline.
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Vietnam Airlines Flies First International Flight Since March
It was a momentous day for Vietnam Airlines on September 18th when the carrier flew its first commercial international flight since March. The airline flew a Boeing 787-10 from Hanoi to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport with nearly sixty passengers.
LinkAirports
The 7 most frustrating airports around the world
Airports around the world suffer from design flaws so glaringly problematic you’d think they were created for some patience-testing prank show. Long distances between terminals, confusing layouts, and overcrowding due to poor planning are common complaints when it comes to the most frustrating airports in the world.
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How Are Runways Named ?
Airport runways are named with numbers, but these figures are not given sequentially. It is all to do with orientation, and in the field of aviation, this is a critical factor.
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Edinburgh Airport donates 200 security trays to African airports
Edinburgh Airport (EDI) has announced that more than 200 security trays will be redistributed from Edinburgh to airports in Africa to help staff train for security inspections. The airport has replaced the trays with new antimicrobial ones.
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Lima Airport agrees on $450 million contract for airside development
Lima Airport Partners (LAP) has signed a $450 million financing agreement for its airside development programme at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru.
Four international banks – KfW IPEX-Bank, the Bank of Nova Scotia, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria – are providing the loan.
LinkMilitary
Japanese Military Now Officially Tracking UFOs
Japan’s Defense Minister has unveiled guidelines for Japanese defense personnel that experience UFO sightings. The guidelines state that members of the Japan Self Defense Forces should record any UFOs they observe so the Defense Ministry can study the evidence. The new rules come just a month after the U.S. Department of Defense issued similar protocols.
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The U.S. Air Force Debuts a New 'e' Aircraft Designation
The U.S. Air Force believes new digital aerospace engineering processes—using computers to design, model, and test aircraft before an actual prototype is built—are so revolutionary that it will now assign a lowercase “e” to the designation of current and future planes designed in such a way.
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Aviation Quote
You've never been lost until you've been lost at Mach 3.
- Paul F. Crickmore
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Unscramble and enter the ICAO code.
1. lSohpihc
2. trwhoaeH
3. anogL
4. dnnKeye
5. ciernssP lnauJai
6. zeiaEz
7. raNait
8. jaarBsa
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