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A350 thrust-reversers modified after lock flaw
Airbus has modified the thrust-reverser actuation system of production A350-900s after a failure of a locking mechanism on an in-service aircraft. The locking actuator was removed from the jet after several failure messages, and investigators found that it failed a primary lock integrity test, says the European Aviation Safety Agency.
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P&W fix will cut PW1100G start-up delay in half
Pratt & Whitney is rolling out software and hardware fixes this summer that will reduce PW1100G start-up delays tobetween 90s and 100s, down from about 3min, the company said. The modifications come after some customers expressed dissatisfaction with a thermal issue that can cause the geared-turbofan engines to have much longer start-up delays than the industry standard of less than 1min.
LinkAirlines
Air Canada offers lie-flat seats on some Boeing 777s
Air Canada has revamped its Boeing 777-200LRs with lie-flat seats in business class. The cabin's 1-2-1 layout offers both privacy and aisle access for passengers. Air Canada will deploy the 777-200LRs on its Sydney-Vancouver route.
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Alaska Air CEO reaches out to Virgin America employees
Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Airlines, is reaching out to Virgin America employees with reassurance about Alaska's acquisition. "I might just say that the reason we are here and remain independent is because we share many of your values -- a fighting streak of independence, a focus on operating well, a deep commitment to our customers, and a belief that we are successful only by working together as a team," he wrote. "Our vision for the future is not only to preserve the high level of customer service you have built, but to build upon this foundation of strength over time," added Tilden.
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BA Plane In Possible Drone Strike At Heathrow
A British Airways A320 was hit by what most likely was a drone as it prepared to land at London's Heathrow Airport on Sunday. Police said the pilot of the BA flight from Geneva had reported that he believed a drone had struck the aircraft before it landed safely.
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Ethiopian Airlines to serve New York-Newark with Boeing 787
Ethiopian Airlines will launch 3X-weekly Addis Ababa-New York Newark services with a stop in Lomé, Togo, on July 3. The carrier will operate a Boeing 787-8 on the route configured with 24 business class seats and 246 economy seats. Ethiopian had been considering flying to New York JFK, but has settled on Newark instead.
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Qantas To Cut H2 Domestic Capacity Growth
Qantas Airways is cutting planned domestic capacity growth in the second half of the year due to slower than expected demand. In a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange, the airline said it was cutting domestic capacity growth to between 0.5 and 1 percent for the second half, from 2 percent previously, due to "changed demand conditions".
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Saudia unveils plan for low-cost carrier
Saudi Arabian flag-carrier Saudia is to establish a new airline division for low-cost air transport in the kingdom. The plan has been disclosed by the airline’s director general, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, during a ceremony in Jeddah which featured an Airbus A320neo test aircraft as a backdrop.
LinkAirports
United to launch service from Tenn. airport to Chicago, NYC
United Airlines plans to launch nonstop service from Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport in Tennessee to Chicago and to New York City. United will offer the service starting on Sept. 7 aboard 50-seat Embraer jets.
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Fla. airport sees boost in passenger traffic from JetBlue
Daytona Beach International Airport in Florida reported 70,936 passengers in March, the highest monthly total in eight years, thanks in part to new service from JetBlue Airways. "JetBlue brings in more passengers, which generate about $21 per passenger for the airport through concessions, rental cars and other ancillary revenue sources," said Rick Karl,
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HKG sees passenger and cargo growth in March
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) recorded a 4.8% rise in the number of passengers handled in March 2016 compared to March 2015, with a total of 6 million passengers. Aircraft movements were also up by 2.2% year-over-year to 35,060. HKIA management described March growth as “steady”; indeed, January 2016 saw a much larger 16% growth.
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Military
US Army finalizes AH-64, CH-47 and UH-60 transactions
A $1.5 billion deal with Boeing for 117 remanufactured AH-64 Apache gunships tops the list of big-ticket helicopter contracts awarded by the US government in the past fortnight. Other deals include Boeing CH-47Fs for the Netherlands and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks for Mexico. The US Army announced a $923 million transaction with Boeing on 7 April as part of its Lot 5 and 6 remanufacturing programme, and the manufacturer clarified last week that the total contract value is $1.5 billion and includes more Longbow flight simulators, logistical support and spare parts.
LinkEAA AirVenture
Martin Mars water bomber to make first appearance at AirVenture
At 38 feet high, 120 feet long and with a wingspan of 200 feet, the Martin Mars is the world's largest water bomber. The massive aircraft is scheduled to make its first appearance in Oshkosh, Wis., this summer for the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture e
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Aviation Quote
When a flight is proceeding incredibly well, something was forgotten.
— Robert Livingston, Flying The Aeronca.
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. There have been several British airplanes named after insects, such as the de Havilland Mosquito. How many American production airplanes have been named after insects?
2. Most pilots are familiar with the PBY, a twin-engine Consolidated Catalina flying boat used initially as a patrol bomber during World War II. What was a PBJ?
3. As any pilot who has studied a sectional chart knows, an RCO is a remote communications outlet used to communicate with distant facilities. What is a GCO?
4. What well-known civilian landplane may land with landing gear retracted during routine operations?
5. True or False, early Lear Jets have a "knife blade" down the center of the windshield. Its purpose is to dissect birds in flight.
6. True or False, After resigning from and selling his interest in TWA, Howard Hughes purchased another airline and named it after himself.
