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Airbus Files For Bankruptcy Protection
Citing staggering losses in the A380 and A350 program, Airbus filed for bankruptcy protection. The A330neo has been cancelled until further notice, pending restructuring.
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Flights Disrupted As High Winds Batter Netherlands
Spring storms battered the Netherlands with gusts of up to 120 km an hour on Tuesday, causing Amsterdam's Schiphol airport to cancel flights. A spokesman for Schiphol airport, Europe's fourth largest, said 80 flights had been cancelled because wind had reduced runway capacity, and that delays would mount as flight volumes rose later in the day.
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EU Airlines Urged To Avoid Yemen Airspace
European regulators have urged airlines to avoid Yemen's airspace as air strikes in the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula continue. The European Aviation Safety Agency said it was highlighting the risk after French regulators urged their own airlines not to penetrate Yemen's airspace. EASA, which regulates aviation across the European Union, did not directly ban airlines from overflying Yemen but urged each of the EU's 28 nations to take note of the French decision.
LinkAirlines
American, US Airways to finish merging loyalty programs
American Airlines and US Airways are slated to complete the integration of their loyalty programs this week. All frequent fliers will now fall under the AAdvantage program.
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Finnair Acquires Flybe Nordic on an Interim Basis
Finnair has acquired Flybe UK Ltd’s 60% ownership of Flybe Nordic for a transaction price of 1 euro, and Flybe Nordic will transfer to Finnair’s ownership on an interim basis. The transaction has been closed today, 31 March 2015. Finnair continues discussions about the continued ownership of Flybe Nordic. Finnair and StaffPoint Holding Ltd and G.W. Sohlberg Ltd. signed on 7 January 2015 a Memorandum of Understanding about an arrangement according to which Staffpoint and GWS would own together 60% of Flybe Nordic shares.
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Rhoades to retire from JetBlue board
Ann Rhoades is retiring from the board of directors of JetBlue Airways at age 70. Rhoades, who joined JetBlue in 1999 as an executive vice president, has served on the board since 2001.
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Southwest Airlines Cargo Takes Off With Another Award
Southwest Airlines is celebrating being named one of the top air cargo carriers in the world according to Air Cargo World magazine. The publication recently announced the carrier won its highly-coveted Air Cargo Excellence "ACE" Diamond Award in the "up to 399,999 tonnes" category. Southwest Cargo earned the award based on its Legendary Customer Service, performance, value, and use of technology.
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Turkish Airlines Cancels Yemen Flights Until April 5
Turkish Airlines has cancelled flights from Istanbul to Yemen from Tuesday until April 5 due to political instability in the country.
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Vistara Plans To Expand Into International Routes
Indian airline Vistara plans to expand its fleet and start flying to overseas destinations within two years, its chief executive said, ahead of an expected change in rules that could allow new carriers to operate abroad. The airline, a joint venture of Singapore Airlines and Indian conglomerate Tata Group, made its debut in January, pitching itself as a full-service premium alternative for those willing to pay more than for the budget airlines that carry two-thirds of the country's passengers.
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WestJet announces departure of CFO
WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky today announced the resignation of Vito Culmone , Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice-President, Finance, effective May 29, 2015 . Vito will be joining another Calgary -based organization in a similar capacity. "Vito has played a significant role in the growth and financial stability of our company for the past eight years and will certainly be missed," said Gregg Saretsky . "We wish him well in this new role."
LinkAirports
Biggin Hill airport's extended opening hours cleared for take-off
Biggin Hill Airport – one of Europe's busiest business aviation hubs – has received provisional local government approval to extend its operating hours. This is a welcome development for the facility, situated around 20km from central London, which has been arguing for some time that its shorter opening hours place it at a competitive disadvantage compared with other London airports such as Luton, which is open 24h. Biggin Hill Airport Airport Limited (BHAL) currently has operating hours from 07:30 to 21:00 local time Monday to Saturday and 09:00 to 21:00 on Sundays and public holidays.
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Feb. passenger traffic climbs at Dallas Love Field
Dallas Love Field served 916,278 passengers in February, a 45.1% increase on a year-over-year basis. During February 2014, restrictions from the Wright amendment were still in place at the airport.
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Committee recommends keeping TSA at Orlando airport
A committee will recommend to the Orlando International Airport governing board that officers from the Transportation Security Administration continue to carry out passenger screening duties at the Florida airport, provided the agency meets certain performance goals.
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Military
US Army outlines CH-47F upgrades for 100-year lifespan
The US Army is laying plans to revamp the CH-47F Chinook with a series of major upgrades over the next 15-20 years as the current multi-year production deal expires in Fiscal 2019. Already the army’s oldest helicopter still in production, the service wants to continue operating the Boeing tandem-rotor helicopter beyond 2060, or 99 years after Frank Piasecki’s heavy-lifter achieved first flight.
LinkRotary WIng
Sikorsky outlines goals, timeline for S-97 flight test
As Sikorsky continues to inch toward first flight of the S-97 Raider demonstrator, company officials have outlined the scope and duration of the flight test program for the high-speed, compound helicopter. Sikorsky has identified three key performance parameters for the S-97 to achieve over a roughly 1.5-year long flight test program, says Chris Van Buiten, Sikorsky’s vice-president of engineering. The flight test program will seek to achieve a maneuverability record for a rotorcraft: a 3g-turn at a maximum speed of 220kt, Van Buiten says in an interview.
LinkRegulatory
SEC accuses MD Helicopters owner of fraud
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has accused the owner of MD Helicopters of committing fraud by hiding information from investors. MD Helicopters is one of about 35 companies controlled by Patriarch Partners founder Lynn Tilton, a former Goldman Sachs banker. In 2003, Tilton established the first of three collateralized debt obligation (CDO) funds, which combined raised more than $2.5 billion to provide loans to “distressed companies” owned or managed by Patriarch Partners, according to the SEC’s legal complaint filed on 30 March.
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Flight Bans Hit Thailand-Based Airlines
A senior Thai aviation official has warned of an "unimaginable impact" on revenues and passenger numbers of Thailand-based airlines after three major Asian destination countries refused them permission for charter flights. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha vowed speedy action to get the bans lifted after Japan, China and South Korea stopped Thailand-based airlines from flying new charters and routes due to safety concerns highlighted by an international audit.
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Aviation Quote
A sky as pure as water bathed the stars and brought them out.
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, first sentence of Southern Mail, 1929.
On This Date
---In 374 A.D... Comet 1P/374 E1 (Halley) approaches within 0.0884 AUs of Earth.
---In 1904... Using a glider imperfectly modeled by Ernest Archdeacon on an outdated Wright design, artillery captain Ferdinand Ferber launched himself into a short hop from a massive dune in Berc-Sur-Mer, Normandy, France.
---In 1918... The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force is born. It is formed out the army’s Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.
---In 1921... French pilot Adrienne Bollard takes off from Mendoza, Argentina in a Cauldron biplane to become the first woman to fly over the Andes. She completes the historic Andean crossing to the Chilean capital, Santiago in 10 hours.
---In 1949…The Boeing Stratocruiser enters service with Pan Am.
---In 1953... BEA (British European Airways) and Air France introduce tourist-class fares on their European routes.
---In 1954…BEA and Air France introduce "Tourist Class" fares.
---In 1955…Post-World War II bans on powered flight in West Germany are lifted and reconstituted Lufthansa resumes operations.
---In 1960… First known weather observation satellite, TIROS I (Television Infra-Red Observation Satellite), launched into orbit by Thor-Able, and took pictures of earth's cloud cover on a global scale from 450 miles above until June 29. TIROS I was hailed as ushering in a new era of meteorological observing.
---In 1961… VIASA - the flag carrier of Venezuela - commences operations.
---In 1965…NAMC YS-11 enters service with Japan Domestic Airlines.
---In 1965… Syncom 3, 1st geosynchronous communications satellite, passes from civilian to military control.
---In 1969…Air Jamaica commences operations.
---In 1971…Hawker Siddeley Trident 3B enters service with British European Airways.
---In 1971… U.S. and Canada ISIS 2 launched to study ionosphere.
---In 1976... Lufthansa’s first two Airbus A300Bs enter service. They will fly between Frankfurt and Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart and London.
---In 1977…The Canadian Snowbirds aerobatic team officially becomes the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron.
---In 1982…Air France flies the Concorde over to Rio de Janeiro and Caracas, Venezuela for the last time.
---In 1987… Tu-160 enters service with the Soviet Air Forces (184th Guards Heavy Bomber Regiment in Pryluki).
---In 1992…Jet Airways is founded.
---In 1993… Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom reviews 70 Royal Air Force aircraft on the ground in celebration of the air force's 75th anniversary. A mass flypast is cancelled due to poor weather.
---In 1997… Comet Hale-Bopp Perihelion; The point in a solar orbit where the orbiting body is closest to the sun.
---In 2004…AirBridge Cargo Airlines commences operations.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Trivia
RECORDS
The most types of planes flown on by a passenger is:
178
383
841
999
Most amount of people to fly in an airplane?
555
892
1069
1072
Most amount of parachute jumps in a day
119
457
640
757
Largest aircraft landed on an aircraft carrier?
A-3
B-66
R-5C
C-130
What was the largest Carrier based aircraft?
F-14 Tomcat
R-5C Vigilante
A-3 Sky Warrior
C-130 Hercules
Which aircraft was the first around the world record without landing?
B-29
B-45
B-47
B-50
Which type of aircraft holds the most speed records with payloads at altitude?
B-29
B-50
B-52
Boeing 747
What is the fastest piston engine aircraft over a closed circuit?
North American P-51D Mustang
Hawker Sea Fury
Ryan Fireball
Grumman F-8F Bearcat
What type of aircraft hold the around the world speed record, westbound?
British Aerospace/Aerospatiale Concorde
Gulfstream IV
Boeing 747SP
Lockheed SR-71A
The deadliest aircraft accident killed how many people?
473
555
583
623
What is the heaviest aircraft ever made?
An-224
An-225
An-124
C-5C
Most spark plugs ever installed on an airplane?
96
128
224
448
miamiair wrote:
Airbus Files For Bankruptcy Protection
Citing staggering losses in the A380 and A350 program, Airbus filed for bankruptcy protection. The A330neo has been cancelled until further notice, pending restructuring.
CentrelinePhoto wrote:miamiair wrote:
Airbus Files For Bankruptcy Protection
Citing staggering losses in the A380 and A350 program, Airbus filed for bankruptcy protection. The A330neo has been cancelled until further notice, pending restructuring.
Like, yeah, right
miamiair wrote:C'mon guys... April fools... Har har, hardee har har.
