NewsLion 737 recorder memory unit recoveredIndonesia's National Transport Safety Committee (NTSC) has taken possession of a crash survivable memory unit believed to be from the Lion Air 737 Max 8 that crashed shortly after take-off on 29 October. The device was recovered from the seabed floor on 1 November, and NTSC chief Soerjanto Tjahjono says that it is likely to have come from the flight data recorder of the crashed jet, and it is expected that it may take up to two weeks to download the data from the unit.
LinkAtlas Air hikes 3Q net income, shrugs off tariff concernsAtlas Air Worldwide (AAW) posted third-quarter (3Q) net earnings of $71.1 million and raised its full-year outlook for the third straight quarter, citing continued demand for its freighter-focused leasing and charter businesses. Purchase, New York-based AAW, which operates Atlas Air, Polar Air Cargo, and Southern Air, grew 3Q revenue 23% to $656.6 million year-over year (YOY), and is projecting a full-year total that exceeds $2.6 billion. Operating income totaled $54.5 million, up 1% YOY. The company has raised its adjusted EBITDA projection slightly, to $525 million.
LinkRyanair to launch flights from Bosnia, HerzegovinaRyanair has filled in one of the few dark areas in its European route map with the launch of flights from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Irish LCC’s 37th country. The company has begun 6X-weekly service from the city of Banja Luka, a largely Serb-populated city and capital of the Republika Srpska. This, together with the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, are two largely autonomous entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina.
LinkNorwegian launches nonstop service to Tampa, Florida Norwegian has begun nonstop service to Tampa Bay, Florida from London, adding the west coast Florida city as its 15th US gateway. The service will run twice-weekly from London Gatwick (LGW) to Tampa International Airport (TPA). Tampa Bay will join Fort-Lauderdale and Orlando as the low-cost carrier’s third major gateway in the state. Norwegian offers daily service to Fort Lauderdale, and recently increased its offerings to Orlando from 3X- to 5X-weekly.
LinkUK to raise passenger tax on long-haul flightsThe UK announced another increase in its Air Passenger Duty (APD)—a departure tax—on the same day the country’s transport minister emphasized how important airports are to the nation’s future prosperity. In his annual budget speech Oct. 29, finance minister Philip Hammond said long-haul flights from UK airports would see APD—already the world’s highest departure tax—increase in line with inflation.
LinkSingapore Airlines to launch nonstop A350 service to Seattle in 2019Singapore Airlines (SIA) is launching its first nonstop service to Seattle, Washington state from Sept. 3, 2019, making it the fifth US city to be served by the airline. The Star Alliance member will use the standard Airbus A350-900, which seats 42 in business, 24 in premium economy and 187 in economy class. SIA will operate the 3X-weekly route before increasing to 4X-weekly from October 2019.
LinkCape Town to realign runway, upgrade terminalsCape Town International Airport will realign its primary runway and upgrade terminal facilities as international traffic continues to grow at South Africa’s second-largest airport.
LinkEU drops TAP-Brussels Airlines codeshare anti-trust investigation The European Commission (EC) has dropped an anti-trust case against TAP Air Portugal and Brussels Airlines. The investigation, which began in October 2016, focused on a codeshare agreement between the two carriers on their Brussels to Lisbon route. Two years ago, the EC told the two airlines that its “preliminary view” was that the carriers’ codeshare cooperation on the sector restricted competition between them, in breach of EU antitrust rules.
LinkChile approves planned LATAM JVs with American and IAGChile's anti-trust tribunal has approved LATAM Airlines Group's proposed joint ventures with American Airlines and IAG, clearing a long-pending hurdle for Latin America's largest airline and its Oneworld partners. The approval from the tribunal, however, comes with conditions. These include requiring LATAM to maintain its capacity on its nonstop routes from Santiago to both Miami and Madrid, and to add capacity on routes to North America and Europe.
LinkWright and easyJet tout progress toward all-electric airlinerWorking with Spanish hybrid-electric light aircraft developer Axter Aerospace, US startup Wright Electric plans to fly a nine-seat demonstrator in 2019 as a step toward an ultimate goal of developing a 186-seat, electric-powered narrowbody airliner
LinkSpiceJet participates in TaxiBot trial in DelhiIsrael Aerospace Industries has started a trial of its semi-robotic TaxiBot tow-tractor at Delhi airport in co-operation with SpiceJet. IAI says that the Indian budget carrier used the tractor in commercial operations for the first time on 29 October, towing a departing Boeing 737 from its stand to the runway.
LinkAir China reports net profit down, summer demand up in 3QAir China reported a net profit of CNY6.5 billion ($946 million) for the first nine months of 2018, down 20% year-over-year (YOY), the highest earnings among the country’s three main carriers. Revenue for the 9-month period was CNY102 billion, up 12% YOY. Operating profit was down 23.5% to CNY95.7 billion. The lower profit margin was because of increased operating costs, which was up by 19.5% to CNY96.3 billion.
LinkGaruda picks Inmarsat's GX Aviation for in-flight wi-fiInmarsat's GX Aviation in-flight broadband service has been selected by Garuda Indonesia for its fleet of Airbus A330s. The carrier joins low-cost subsidiary Citilink in adopting the wi-fi product. Garuda will work with Lufthansa Systems, Lufthansa Technik and Indonesian technology company Mahata Aero Teknology on the installation.
LinkComac opens new flight test cent re in ShanghaiComac has opened a new flight test centre at Shanghai Pudong airport industrial area. The 138,400 square meter facility will serve a wide range of functions, including engineering research, data processing and test pilot training. It is located around 5km from Shanghai Pudong International airport.
LinkEmbraer stays confident on executive jets performanceEmbraer has played down a fall in nine-month revenues at its executive jets division, claiming that it has sacrificed "volumes and market share" to focus on "price and profitability". Revenues fell by 22% – to $647 million – in the period ended 30 September, down from $847 million a year earlier. Output fell slightly to 55 aircraft, from 59 in the first three quarters of 2017, and while shipments of 40 Phenom 100/300 light jets held steady at 40 units, combined deliveries of the large-category Legacy 450/500/650, plus the Lineage 1000E, dropped from 19 to 15 aircraft.
LinkUS Army pilots test fly autonomous Sikorsky S-76B US Army pilots test flew an autonomous Sikorsky S-76B, a modified commercial helicopter, which was developed by the Lockheed Martin subsidiary and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The event marked the first time a non-Sikorsky pilot operated the experimental aircraft. The Stratford, Connecticut-based company was keen to point to the flight as an indication of growing interest and participation from the Army in the joint DARPA-Sikorsky Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program.
LinkChina advances on fighter frontThe long-awaited appearance at Airshow China 2016 of the Chengdu J-20 was anti-climactic, but served to bolster the mystique around one of the 21st Century's most iconic fighter designs. Supporting the opening ceremony, two J-20s roared down the runway at several hundred feet and performed a vertical split.
Link 
