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Airbus brings A350 on Asian demonstration tour
Airbus has deployed one of its A350-900 aircraft on a demonstration tour to five Asian countries, starting from 17 November. The tour comes after the completion of the A350-900 flight test campaign, which led to the aircraft gaining certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency and the US Federal Aviation Administration, says Airbus.
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Airbus starts A330 Beluga development
Airbus has launched the development of an A330-based successor for its five-strong A300-600ST Beluga transport fleet. The Toulouse-based manufacturer says it will build five “new Belugas”, the first of which is scheduled to enter service in mid-2019. Like its predecessor, the new aircraft will feature a lowered cockpit section to facilitate transport of large airframe segments on the main deck in an extended cargo bay structure.
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Boeing resumes 787-8 ecoDemonstrator flights
Boeing has launched the latest round of ecoDemonstrator testing using a 787-8 flight test aircraft loaded with 25 new technologies. The aircraft, with serial number ZA004, completed first test flight on 17 November. It carries new software developed under NASA’s airborne spacing for terminal arrival routes program. The wings are layered with new icephobic coatings. The flight test instrumentation is connected wirelessly to save weight. Instrument landing systems are loaded with new “Type D” protocols for airports equipped with a ground-based augmentation system to smooth landings, especially in poor weather. The outer wing panels also are using new access doors made from composite material recycled from the 787 production system.
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Boeing inks deal with Japan's Toray for carbon fiber
Boeing has signed a deal with Toray Industries, based in Japan, as the sole supplier of carbon fiber for the 777X. The company plans to build a $865 million facility in South Carolina.
LinkAirlines
Air Cote d'Ivoire Picks Airbus
Ivory Coast's national carrier Air Cote d'Ivoire has selected Airbus to renew and expand its fleet after talks last month with the European plane maker and Canada's Bombardier. The company was launched last year and serves 19 destinations in West Africa with its fleet of four leased aircraft - three Airbus A319s and an Embraer 170. It will launch domestic routes this month with two Q400 NextGen aircraft ordered from Bombardier last year and forecasts between 100,000 and 120,000 domestic passengers per year.
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American Airlines expands first-class meal service
American Airlines continues to fine-tune its first-class domestic service and announced enhancements as well as changes to meal windows to the current offerings on Friday for both American and US Airways. Starting November 18, the minimum flight time for a meal will change to two hours and 30 minutes from two hours and 45 minutes. On flights from 700 to 899 miles (1,127 to 1,447 kilometers) or two to two hours 30 minutes, the service is being upgraded from a snack basket to warmed mixed nuts, sandwiches, and fresh fruit.
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Delta plans to expand service in Seattle to 30 gates
Delta Air Lines plans to expand its service in Seattle to 30 gates from 11 gates. "We're making good progress on our discussion to upgrade the facility and to turn Seattle into a huge international gateway for Delta," said CEO Richard Anderson in a message to employees.
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JetBlue invests in passport kiosks at JFK
JetBlue Airways invested in automated passport control kiosks in Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. "We have invested in all our facilities and as part of this SITA’s easy-to-use kiosks will help travelers on arrival and continue the great JetBlue experience on the ground," said Eash Sundaram, chief information officer at JetBlue.
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JetBlue Airways to expand Mint service, president says
Robin Hayes, the president of JetBlue Airways, said the carrier plans to expand its Mint service to more markets. "Given the phenomenal success we've had on Mint, I see potential markets like Boston-San Francisco and Boston-LAX," Hayes said.
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Jetstar Counts Cost Of Delayed Hong Kong Launch
Jetstar Hong Kong has sold six of its nine new Airbus A320s and many of its pilots have either quit or been redeployed – all before the budget airline's first commercial flight. Nearly 18 months after the low-cost carrier, backed by Australia's Qantas and Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines, lodged an application for a license, Hong Kong authorities are still considering its approval. Budget airlines account for just 8 percent of the capacity out of Hong Kong, compared with 30 percent in Singapore and 50 percent in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, according to industry consultancy OAG. The stalemate in Hong Kong illustrates the pitched battle between full-service carriers and their faster-growing budget rivals in Asia for a share of the rising demand for air travel.
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Russian Airlines Face Losses Over Ukraine Crisis
Russian airlines are facing a drop in passenger numbers because of the Ukraine crisis, prompting some observers to expect fleet reductions and possible state support next year to cope with deepening losses. The economy is teetering on the brink of recession, the ruble has shed almost 30 percent of its value this year and the cost of debt has risen for Russian companies as Western sanctions over Moscow's role in the conflict in Ukraine bite. The downturn has hurt consumer sentiment, with Russians cutting back on travel, primarily on westbound, affecting Aeroflot, Transaero, and UTair among others.
LinkAirports
FAA asked to rule on Charlotte, N.C., airport dispute
Charlotte, N.C., officials sent a letter Friday asking the Federal Aviation Administration to officially place Charlotte Douglas International Airport under the city's control. North Carolina's General Assembly last year created an airport commission to take over running the airport, but a judge ruled that the commission would need permission from the FAA before it could take control of the facility.
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Las Vegas airport aims for 30% international travelers
Southern Nevada tourism officials haven’t lost sight of keeping the “international” in McCarran International Airport. Ever since the airport’s $2.4 billion Terminal 3 opened its gates to the world in June 2012, McCarran has been among the fastest-growing international gateways in the United States. A team of air service development professionals from McCarran and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has collaborated to recruit more flights and more passengers to Las Vegas. It’s a financially lucrative strategy: Based on years of research, the tourism industry knows that because international visitors travel a long way to get here, they’re more likely to stay longer and spend more than their domestic counterparts.
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Newark airport debuts innovative mileage program
Newark Liberty Airport has launched an innovative program in partnership with United Airlines. The program allows United frequent fliers to purchase meals or other items at the airport using miles instead of cash in Terminal C. "We are always looking for new opportunities for our customers to use their miles," said Gavin Molloy, managing director of corporate real estate and airport affairs for United.
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Toulouse Airport Stake Sale Decision In A Month
France will make a decision on the sale of a minority stake in Toulouse-Blagnac airport in southwestern France "in about a month", Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said. Three groups remained in the running for the stake as of November 4: construction and concession company Vinci, together with CDC Infrastructure and EDF Invest; Paris airports operator ADP along with insurer Predica; and Canadian engineering firm SNC-Lavalin in partnership with two Chinese investors.
LinkMilitary
Brazilian Navy restarts KC-2 Turbo Trader contract
A contract amendment signed on 7 November by the Brazilian navy's directorate of aeronautics and Marsh Aviation revives a long-delayed program to refurbish and re-engine four ex-US Navy Grumman S-2 Trackers. The new contract terms also acknowledge the entry of Elbit Systems of America’s subsidiary M7 Aviation, of San Antonio, Texas, into the program. The original Brazilian Tracker contract was signed on 20 October 2011 covering the airframe refurbishment, re-engining and systems transformation of four ex-US Navy C-1A Traders into “KC-2” Turbo Traders. It also revived the C-1A fleet for military operations, a role that had been on hold since the US Navy retired the aircraft 26 years ago.
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Israeli C-130Js stretch legs for air force
The Israeli air force is adding the newly introduced Lockheed Martin C-130J to its long-range operational capabilities, having recently performed a proving flight that helped to develop its tactics for using the"Samson". During the long-range flight, the air force conducted a sortie over the skies of Greece, Romania and Bulgaria. "The ability to fly abroad is vital for us as a transport squadron", says Maj Roee, commander of the weapon systems operators department for the "Elephants" squadron and the official in charge of developing its military tactics for long-distance flights. "The practice went very well and it gives us confidence towards our official operational activation," he told the Israeli air force website.
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UK's first A400M arrives at Brize Norton home
The UK Royal Air Force's first of an eventual 22 Airbus A400M tactical transports has touched down at its Brize Norton air base, having been accepted from the company's Defence & Space business unit in Seville, Spain. Carrying the service registration ZM400, the RAF's lead "Atlas" arrived at its new home on 17 November, without being announced by the service, Ministry of Defence or the airframer. A formal delivery event is expected to be staged at the Oxfordshire site later this month.
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Aviation Quote
Every time we hit an air pocket and the plane dropped about five hundred feet (leaving my stomach in my mouth) I vowed to give up sex, bacon, and air travel if I ever made it back to terra firma in one piece.
— Erica Jong, Fear of Flying, 1973.
On This Date
---In 1930... The Boeing XP-9 monoplane fighter makes its 1st flight in Dayton, Ohio.
---In 1949…A Douglas C-74 Loadmaster carries 103 passengers and crew over the North Atlantic, the largest number to have made the crossing in a single flight.
---In 1966…Captain William J. Knight flies the North American X-15 to a record speed of Mach 6.33 (4,250 mph, 6,840 km/h). Captain William J. Knight flies the North American X-15 to a record speed of Mach 6.33 (4,250 mph, 6,840 km/h).
---In 1978…First flight of the McDonnell Douglas YF-18A Hornet 160775.
---In 1985…Cessna is purchased by General Dynamics.
---In 1985…The first Space Shuttle, Enterprise, is flown to Washington Dulles International Airport atop a Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to the Smithsonian Institution for eventual museum display. Although lacking engines and a heat shield and never having flown in space, it has been used for shuttle portability, gliding, vibration, and launch pad tests and on publicity tours.
---In 2002… American Airlines and British Airways announce plans to codeshare some transatlantic flights, but the partnership is heavily restricted by US regulators.
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Editor’s Choice
Trivia
Fighter Trivia
1. In 2013, what US fighter did the US sell to South Korea that did not really meet that country's requirements due to its lack of stealth capability?
F-15SE Silent Eagle
F-15C Eagle
F-15E Strike Eagle
F-14 Tomcat
2. What was America's most powerful fighter in Korea?
F/J-1 Fury
A-10 Skyraider
P-80 Shooting Star
F-86 Sabre
3. What American prop-driven fighter scored the greatest kill ratio of World War II?
F6F Hellcat
F8F Bearcat
P-47 Thunderbolt
F/J-2 Fury
4. What was the objective of Operation Bolo in the Vietnam War?
Operation Bolo is another name for Operation Linebacker
To lure out MiG-21s by disguising F-4 Phantoms as F-105 Thunderchiefs
To use helicopters to destroy ground bases and ships
A North Vietnamese operation to crash drones into American aircraft carriers
5. What is the Canadian variant of the American F/A-18 Hornet?
RAF-18 Hornet
F/A-17 Hornet
F-18 Canadair Hornet
CF-18 Hornet
6. How many and what size cannon(s) does the F/A-18 Hornet carry?
4 30mm cannons
6 22mm cannons
2 24mm cannons
1 20mm cannon
7. What was the first rocket plane to enter service with an air force or navy?
Me 163 Komet
Saturn V
Ohka
Tandem X
8. What was the most widely produced fighter plane in history?
F6F Hellcat
Me 109
F-8 Crusader
Focke Wolf 190
9. What was America's first twin engine fighter in history?
P-61 Black Widow
P-51 Mustang
D.H.98 Mosquito
P-38 Lightning
10. What was the Japanese Empire's most used fighter?
KI-43 Oscar
A6M Zero
KI-27 Nate
D3A Val
