NewsCommercial
BBJ models could extend 747-8, 737NG run, Boeing says
Boeing could continue producing business jet versions of the 747-8 and the 737NG for several more years, says the newly-appointed head of Boeing Business Jets (BBJ). Both types have appeared close to ending production, with waning deliveries of the 747-8 casting doubt about the programme’s future and the 737 Max set to replace the older 737NG family of aircraft. But BBJ president David Longridge says demand remains high for the head of state version of the 747-8 and 737NG version could remain in production after the 737 Max is introduced.
Link
French Court Halts Airbus Insider Trading Trial
A French court has quashed an insider trading case against current and former executives and two previous shareholders in Airbus Group, ending a turbulent phase in the European aerospace company's history. Seven current and former managers and two former corporate shareholders, Lagardère and Daimler, who had been accused of profiting from problems in building the A380, will no longer stand trial because they had previously been cleared by France's AMF market regulator.
LinkAirlines
Citigroup Sells Aeromexico Stake
Mexico's biggest airline Aeromexico said that Citigroup had sold its stake of about 16 percent in the company. The stock would be bought by several parties, including former Aeromexico chairman Eduardo Tricio, but none would hold more than five percent of the shares, the airline said in a statement.
Link
Air Berlin Has Last Shot At Turnaround - CEO
Air Berlin has one last shot at turning itself around, its chief executive told a German newspaper, underlining the scale of the challenge facing Germany's second largest airline. The budget airline, 29 percent owned by Etihad Airways, has made operating losses in four of the last five years and changed its chief executive four times in the last three years as it seeks to stem losses and reduce debt.
Link
Executives at American Airlines focus on smooth merger for passengers
American Airlines executives say they are working hard to make the merger with US Airways go as smoothly as possible for passengers. "We have to be paranoid about every single thing that can possibly go wrong. There's 10 million other things we'd love to be doing, (but) we are setting that stuff to the side right now," said the airline's chief information officer, Maya Leibman.
Link
Delta Air Lines CEO confident about the future
Citing low cancellation numbers, declining complaints and lower oil prices, CEO Richard Anderson has expressed confidence in Delta's future. He has set his sights on opening up more international markets and updating the Delta fleet. Anderson said the carrier is well-equipped to meet the needs of its customers over the summer travel season. "We're ready for the summer," he said. "Our reliability's going to be off-the-charts good."
Link
JetBlue confirms Quito - Fort Lauderdale route for Q1 2016
JetBlue will begin to fly round trip Quito - Fort Lauderdale sometime in the first quarter of next year, according to a statement by the airline. Quito will become the fifth destination for JetBlue in South America.
Link
Ryanair Approach Key To Irish Decision On Aer Lingus
Ryanair's approach to IAG's bid for Aer Lingus will be very significant in whether the government decides to sell its stake in the former flag carrier, Deputy Prime Minister Joan Burton said. IAG's proposed EUR€1.36 billion bid was recommended by Aer Lingus in January but is conditional on the support of the airline's two main shareholders, Ryanair and the Irish state.
Link
Southwest will begin offering nonstop flights Indianapolis - LaGuardia
Southwest will join Delta in offering nonstop flights from Indianapolis to LaGuardia, according to an announcement from the airline. The flights will begin departing twice daily on Nov. 1.
LinkAirports
Delta Air Lines enjoys growth at Lincoln Airport
Delta Air Lines is carrying 42% more passengers out of Lincoln Airport than last year. Last month, Delta's passenger traffic was up 51% over 2014, while commercial traffic for the airport at large was up only 15%.
Link
Military
MV-22 crash kills 1 in Hawaii
A Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey crashed during “routine sustainment training” in Hawaii on 17 May, killing one Marine and injuring 20 others and one Navy corpsman, service officials say in a news release. The incident at 11:40am at the Marines’ Bellows Training Area on the island of Oahu is under investigation, the Marines say.
Link
Boeing expects more Massive Ordnance Penetrator orders
Boeing’s weapons business expects to see additional orders of its Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) “in the near term” as the US Air Force continues to modify and evolve the 30,000-pound bunker munition to destroy fortified and deeply buried targets. Debbie Rub, vice president and general manager of Boeing Global Strike, says MOP is an important part of the company’s weapons portfolio and continues to be a relevant weapon system to the US government. The largest non-nuclear bomb in the Pentagon’s inventory, it was originally conceived to attack hardened, underground nuclear weapons facilities and is integrated with the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit.
LinkUAV
Phantom Works exploring laser-carrying stratospheric UAVs
The president of Boeing Phantom Works sees a future for the group's stratospheric Phantom Eye UAV in carrying solid-state lasers for high-altitude sensing and communications missions and then possibly missile defence some time in the next 20 years. The small-scale Phantom Eye demonstrator aircraft completed nine successful flights before being placed in storage at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Centre in California last year. But Boeing is still looking for opportunities in the military or commercial sectors to carry the development programme forward.
LinkCorporate
First flight of G500 nears
Gulfstream is on track to operate the first test flight of its new G500 clean-sheet business jet in the coming weeks, and the manufacturer has seen a “strong reaction” to the aircraft from the marketplace. The first flight will take place in the second quarter, Gulfstream president Larry Flynn said during a media briefing at EBACE today, although he declines to provide a specific date for the flight. “It’ll fly when it’s ready,” he says.
Link
Aviation Quote
High-performance jet fighter, fully armed with missiles, guns. ECM equipment, fresh paint (stars and bars painted over), single seat, 97% reliability rate, will outclimb, outturn F-16, outrun F-14, low fuel burn (relatively), all digital avionics, radar, terrain following, INS, GPS, Tacan, used only for testing and sales promotion. Now in storage.
Contact Northrop Corp. Will trade for Mig-25 and home address of Air Force Acquisition officer.
— ad found in 'Pacific Flyer' magazine, shortly after the F-20 program was cancelled.
On This Date
---In 1934... The first flight of the Russian Tupolev Ant-20 Maxim Gorkii, at this time the largest aircraft in the world. Powered by eight engines, capable of carrying 80 passengers, it is used mainly as a mobile propaganda office.
---In 1949... The U.S. Navy flying boat Marshall Mars lands after flying from Alameda, near San Francisco, with a record 301 passengers.
---In 1959... The first Boeing 707-436 Intercontinental destined for British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) makes its maiden flight, landing at Boeing Field, Seattle, after 1 hour, 11 minutes in the air. BOAC ordered 15 Intercontinentals in 1956.
---In 2008…First flight of the Sukhoi Superjet 100.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Trivia
QR International Destinations
1. LOCOBOM
2. TEBEBNE
3. DAARHEYBD
4. SAMCNHTREE
5. HAHRJSA
6. YUYHAAISMLNA
7. GRAENYUTIRBEK
8. CNIHUM
9. NTMAREOL
10. NDAKUAHTM
