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Airbus pitches A330neo in China, but cool on regional A330
Airbus has confirmed it has pitched its A330neo series to Chinese carriers, but has been less aggressive about its proposed regional A330 variant. Speaking during a presentation at the recent ISTAT Asia event in Singapore, Airbus senior vice president leasing markets Andrew Shankland says that a number of pitches for the re-engined widebody are underway.
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Alaska Airlines Eases Travel with Debut of Preferred Plus Seating Selection
Customers who like a little extra legroom now have more choices when flying Alaska Airlines, with the launch of Preferred Plus seating. Starting today, the bulkhead and exit row seats will be available to all customers for paid upgrades after Mileage Plan MVP, MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75k members have had an opportunity to reserve them.
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American Airlines exec announces retirement after nearly 20 years
Will Ris, senior vice president of government affairs for American Airlines, announced plans to retire at the end of 2015. Ris, 67, has worked for American Airlines since 1996. "Will’s impact on American Airlines has been immeasurable," said CEO Doug Parker in a statement. "He has represented us extraordinarily well because he understands commercial aviation and cares about the professional people who work in the business."
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Chinese Airlines Look Inland For Opportunities
Chinese airlines are banking on the newly rich in China's inland provinces to drive the next phase of their global expansion, offering flights from cities hundreds of miles from aviation hubs on the Chinese coast. Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines are adding flights to New York, Paris and Sydney from thriving inland cities such as Wuhan and Chengdu.
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Frontier Airlines CEO Dave Siegel resigns
The CEO of Frontier Airlines resigned and was replaced by the carrier's chairman and president, who vowed to improve a record of frequent flight delays and customer complaints. Frontier said Wednesday that Dave Siegel stepped down for personal reasons. Siegel's departure came the same day that consultants J.D. Power ranked Frontier last in a survey of customer satisfaction. On Monday, the federal government said that Frontier had the highest complaint rate and the worst on-time performance among the nation's 14 leading airlines in March.
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JetBlue Plans to Expand Its Latin American Presence to Ecuador
JetBlue Airways (JBLU) today announced plans to add a new destination to its expanding Latin America and Caribbean network. The airline intends to launch service to Quito, Ecuador's Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) with once daily service from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), subject to approval of government operating authority.
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Singapore Air Swings to Fourth-Quarter Profit
Singapore Airlines swung to an operating profit of SGD$91.9 million for January-March from an operating loss of SGD$60.3 million a year ago. In the year to end March it reported a 58 percent rise in operating profit to SGD$409.4 million, supported by lower fuel costs.
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Southwest Airlines goes big with adjusted Boeing order
Southwest Airlines has changed its order with Boeing so that it will receive 737-800 models rather than the smaller 737-700s. The larger model can fit about 32 additional seats.
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Southwest to add flights to Costa Rican city in Nov.
Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly on Wednesday announced the addition of the airline's 97th destination -- Liberia, Costa Rica. Flights will depart daily from Houston Hobby International starting in November.
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Southwest Airlines taking steps to reward employees, investors
Southwest has announced that it is launching a buyback program worth $1.5 billion and increasing its per-share dividend to 7.5 cents. The announcement came at the latest shareholder meeting on Wednesday.
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TAM A350 progresses in final assembly
Brazilian carrier TAM's first Airbus A350-900 is "progressing well" in the airframer's final assembly line in Toulouse, says Airbus. The airframer released a photo of the aircraft in the assembly line, sporting TAM's colors on its tail. The airline has said it expects to take delivery of its first A350 in December.
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United Airlines to update fleet with larger, fuel efficient aircraft
United Airlines has announced plans to replace 130 small planes operated by its regional contractors with more efficient, larger planes.. The plan involves leasing and retrofitting up to 25 Airbus A319s from AerCap Holdings NV. "Our flexible fleet plan allows us to opportunistically add used aircraft when the economics are attractive," said Ron Baur, fleet vice president for United.
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VivaAerobus receives first new A320
Mexican low-cost carrier VivaAerobus has taken delivery of its first new Airbus A320 from the airframer in Toulouse. The Monterrey-based carrier placed an order in 2013 for 52 A320 family aircraft, comprising 12 A320ceos and 40 A320neos. VivaAerobus' first new A320 is registered XA-VAA.
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Top 10 airport approaches that offer world-class views
Queenstown Airport, Las Vegas McCarran Airport and Nice Cote D'Azur Airport top this list of airports from around the globe with the most scenic approaches compiled by PrivateFly.
LinkAirports
Daytona Beach International Airport sees increase in travelers
For the fourth consecutive month, Daytona Beach International Airport in Florida has reported a year-over-year increase in passenger traffic. The airport serviced 1% more travelers in April than it did the year before, according to a news release.
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United Airlines begins LAX terminal upgrades
United Airlines broke ground Wednesday on a $573 million renovation of its two LAX terminals. The upgrades include a new ticketing area and lounge and additional security checkpoints. Construction is expected to be completed in 2017. United Senior Vice President Sandra Pineau-Boddison said the renovations are designed for "enhancing the airport experience at LAX and giving our customers more of what they want when traveling -- greater choice and control, consistency and comfort."
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Military
India picks Ka-226T as RSH rotorcraft
The decision taken by New Delhi's Defense Acquisition Council on 13 May to manufacture Russia’s Kamov Ka-226T "Sergei" light helicopter in India brings to a close a long and torturous saga to procure 197 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters (RSH) for nation's army and air force. The army and air force have had pending requirements for over a decade to acquire 133 and 64 RSH aircraft, respectively, to replace their aging Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) Cheetah and Chetak light helicopters.
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RAF scrambles Typhoons in response to Russia as British troops train in Estonia
Two Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons were scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft in eastern European NATO airspace in early May, as a multinational NATO exercise to prepare allies against potential threats takes place in Estonia. Exercise Steadfast Javelin has seen 13,000 NATO troops from Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, the UK and the USA simulate defensive measures against air and land attacks since it began on 4 May – testing the full staging of permanent readiness troops and additional staging of rapid response reserve units that NATO is supporting in its effort to protect eastern Europe against the threat from Russia.
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Antonov and Saudi partner to modernize An-32 transport
Ukrainian airframer Antonov has signed a pact with Saudi Arabia's Taqnia Aeronautics covering development and manufacturing of the An-132, an updated version of the Cold War-era An-32 turboprop transport. Destined for civil and military markets, the partners – alongside Saudi Arabia's national science agency, the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) – will update the An-32 with "additional capabilities to the aircraft's payload, range and take-off [performance]".
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Spain suspends pre-delivery flights of A400M
Airbus Defense & Space resumed flight testing of the A400M tactical transport on 12 May, just days after four of its personnel were killed in the first accident to involve the type since its flight debut in December 2009. Spain’s defense ministry is leading an investigation into the cause of the 9 May crash involving aircraft MSN23, which happened shortly after its first take-off from Seville airport in Spain. Another two Airbus flight test personnel were seriously injured in the incident, which left the transport completely burned out. The aircraft had been scheduled for delivery to the Turkish air force next month.
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USMC continues Nepalese aid delivery as search for missing helo continues
US Marine Corps assets – including the Bell Helicopter UH-1Y Huey rotorcraft – are continuing the delivery of aid to victims of the earthquakes in Nepal, as the search continues for a Huey that went missing following a second earthquake on 12 May. The USMC helicopter disappeared with six marines and two Nepalese service members during an evacuation and aid delivery mission near Charikot, Nepal, and US, Indian and Nepalese aircraft have all been deployed on missions in search of the aircraft.
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Aviation Quote
I wanted to go back for another 50 missions, but they ruled it out because I had a case of malaria that kept recurring. So I had to stay in the States and teach combat flying. I was shot down by a mosquito!
— Frank Hurlbut, P-38 pilot.
On This Date
---In 1918... The first regular air mail service begins with regular flights between Washington, D.C. and New York City. It is operated by the U.S. Army Signal Corps.
---In 1919... The U.S. Post Office Department begins its first air mail service operations between Chicago and Cleveland, later extended to New York and San Francisco. A De Havilland D.H.4-A is carrying the mail.
---In 1921... Laura Bromwell loops in New York State 199 times in I hour, 20 minutes, setting a new women’s record for consecutive loops.
---In 1930... The first airline stewardess is Ellen Church, a nurse who flies on the Boeing Air Transport flight between San Francisco, California and Cheyenne, Wyoming.
---In 1940…World War II: British bombers make their first runs over Germany.
---In 1948…Tel Aviv is attacked by the Egyptian Air Force. The Israeli Air Force retaliates by striking Arab troops near Samakh.
---In 1957…Over Malden Island in the south Pacific, a British Vickers Valiant piloted by Kenneth Hubbard drops the nation’s first nuclear bomb in a test called Operation Grapple. Designed to yield a one megaton explosion, the bomb fails to detonate properly and only disperses about 300 kilotons.
---In 1958…The USSR launches Sputnik 3 for the second time, following a failed launch about 2 weeks earlier.
---In 1960…The Soviets launch Sputnik 4.
---In 1961… In testimony before House Appropriations Committee, Hugh L. Dryden revealed that simulated free-flight speeds just under 30,000 miles per hour had been achieved at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA.
---In 1963…The spacecraft Faith 7 launches on Mercury-Atlas 9, the final mission of the U.S. Mercury program. Pilot Gordon Cooper becomes the first American to spend more than a day in space before splashing down 34 hours later.
---In 1979…First flight of the Dassault Mirage 50.
---In 1987…The USSR launches the Polyus spacecraft, designed to destroy American “Star Wars” satellites with high-powered lasers, but it fails to reach orbit.
---In 2002…Air Astana commences operations.
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