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PICTURE: MRJ starts certification flight tests
Mitsubishi Aircraft has started certification flight tests for its MRJ90 regional jet programme early this month, using FTA-4.
It declined to give further details about the tests, which are ongoing at a flight test facility in Moses Lake, but says that it is “getting good results”.
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Boeing chairman unveils Embry-Riddle job training grant
Boeing chairman Dennis Muilenburg announced a $3 million aeronautics job training grant at a conference in Washington DC where he also discussed Boeing's goals for urban air mobility and his views on trade negotiations with China.
Muilenburg discussed the future of the US aerospace industry on 7 March at the US Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit, prompted by questions from chamber president Thomas Donohue.
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Airbus deliveries up by more than a third
Airbus delivered 88 aircraft over the first two months of 2019, an increase of 35% on the same point last year.
The airframer handed over 69 A320-family jets compared with the previous figure of 50, and its single-aisle output also included three A220s.
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Heavy cancellations hammer Airbus net orders
Airbus has formally recorded Etihad Airways’ cancellation of 42 Airbus A350s which, alongside the scrubbing of 23 A380s and 25 A320neos, has left the airframer with a net order deficit of almost 100 aircraft.
Etihad had been discussing the reduction of its A350 orders and Airbus has removed 40 A350-900s and two A350-1000s from the Abu Dhabi-based airline’s backlog, leaving it with 20 A350-1000s.
LinkAirlines
American eyes basic economy, DFW changes to increase unit-revenue growth
American Airlines continues to tout post-merger cost advantages, but its leadership is adamant that making up ground on its primary competitors in 2019 must happen on the revenue side.
“If you look at it, stage adjusted, our CASM isn't where the gap is,” American CEO Doug Parker said at the recent J.P. Morgan Aviation, Transportation, & Industrials conference.
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TUIfly may convert part of Boeing MAX order to -10s
German leisure airline TUIfly is considering converting part of its big order for Boeing 737 MAX 8s into the larger -10 to have more capacity on dense routes.
“We will make that decision this year,” TUIfly managing director Oliver Lackmann said on the sidelines of the ITB tourism fair in Berlin March 7.
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Russia’s Irkutsk region to acquire 51% of IrAero Airline
The Irkutsk region Development Corp. will acquire 51% of IrAero Airline and plans to invest in the carrier’s further growth. The airline will be developed together with Ramport Aero, which operates Zhukovsky International Airport near Moscow.
The companies signed an MOU at the beginning of March, Ramport Aero said in a statement. Russia’s Solidarnost Bank has also taken part in the agreement and is named as a project adviser.
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PICTURE: Wizz receives first A321neo
Central European budget carrier Wizz Air has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo, the initial jet from a commitment covering over 250 of the re-engined family.
Wizz Air received the aircraft during a ceremony at Airbus’s Hamburg Finkenwerder plant on 7 March.
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United plans 'evolution' to globe livery: CEO
United Airlines will unveil an updated livery that chief executive Oscar Munoz calls an "evolution" in the next few months.
"It's an evolution not a revolution," he says on the sidelines of the US Chamber of Commerce aviation summit in Washington DC today. "I think it's pretty cool."
The Chicago-based carrier will unveil the livery update in the "April-ish" timeframe, adds Munoz.
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Eurowings long-haul operation expands to Frankfurt hub
Lufthansa Group is to establish long-haul Eurowings operations from Frankfurt, complementing the similar services offered from the group’s second hub at Munich.
Eurowings will use a total of seven Airbus A330s for the expansion, configured with 310 seats, with some of the fleet operated by SunExpress Deutschland.
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Faulty bin work grounds 14 American Airlines’ Boeing 737-800s
American Airlines pulled 14 recently modified Boeing 737-800s from service because of “quality” issues with the new interior work and is inspecting them, the airline said March 7.
The modification work is part of American’s Project Oasis, which will see cabin updates on 737-800s so their capacities match larger 737-8s. Similar work is being done to harmonize A321 and A321neo interiors.
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Novoair eyes turboprops, narrowbodies to boost fleet
Bangladesh carrier Novoair is considering expanding its fleet and range by adding narrowbody jet aircraft to the turboprops it currently operates.
Novoair flies six ATR 72-500 turboprops on domestic and short-haul international routes from its hub in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The carrier is in negotiations to add another two ATR 72s, a Novoair executive said on the sidelines of the Aviation Week MRO Southeast Asia conference.
LinkAirports
Phuket moves to ban famous aircraft photos from beach
The Phuket authorities are restricting photography aircraft photography from Mai Khao beach, beside the busy runway at Phuket International Airport.
The beach provides a popular photo opportunity for visitors but causing aviation safety concerns. Airport deputy director Wichit Kaewsaithiam, after a meeting chaired by deputy provincial governor Prakob Maneerung, said public access would be pushed back along the beach.
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Washington Dulles aims for 30m passengers
Washington Dulles International airport is once again the DC region's second busiest airport, but travellers eager to see improvements will have to wait before any major projects are undertaken.
Dulles ended a multi-year run as both the area's largest and quietest airport, a distinction it had not held since the 1980s, with 24.1 million passengers in 2018, data from operator the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) shows.
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Lithuanian Airports records a sharp increase in checked baggage
With changes to the Ryanair and Wizz Air baggage regulations, concerning a limitation in free cabin baggage, Lithuanian Airports has seen a sharp increase in the percentage of checked baggage.
The new baggage policy limits free cabin baggage, stating that only a small bag or rucksack could be taken on-board free-of-charge, and in order to have a bigger suitcase, a priority service would need to be acquired, with prices starting from €5.
LinkMilitary
X-60A hypersonic research rocket completes critical design review
The US Air Force’s X-60A hypersonic research vehicle completed its critical design review.
The programme is now moving into the fabrication phase, with the initial flight of the vehicle scheduled to take place in about a year at Cecil Spaceport in Jacksonville, Florida, says the USAF. The liquid-rocket powered vehicle is designed to be launched after being dropped from under the belly of a NASA C-20A, a military version of the Gulfstream III business jet.
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HAI: Japan Coast Guard orders additional H225
The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) has placed an order for a single Airbus Helicopters H225, which will bring its fleet of the type to 11 examples.
The rotorcraft will be used for security enforcement, territorial patrols, and disaster relief missions, says Airbus Helicopters in a statement.
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Airbus selects Pratt engine for US Navy H135 bid
Airbus Helicopters selected the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B3 engine to power the H135, the model it is proposing for the US Navy’s helicopter trainer replacement programme.
The 640shp (477kW)-rated turboshaft is manufactured in Longueuil, Quebec. The PW206C powers the Leonardo A109E Power, a lightweight, twin-engined helicopter.
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PICTURE: Kratos XQ-58A makes flight debut
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’ XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator has conducted its first sortie, launching a planned five flight test campaign.
Performed from the Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona on 5 March, the debut lasted 76min, the US Air Force says, adding that the unmanned air vehicle performed as expected.
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Aviation Quote
I think the Space Shuttle is worth one billion dollars a launch. I think that it is worth two billion dollars for what it does. I think the Shuttle is worth it for the work it does.
- Pete Conrad
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Editor's Choice
Trivia
General Trivia
1. What large aircraft was considered so slow that its pilots used to say the navigator needed a calendar more than a chronograph?
2. Normal, Utility and Aerobatic category aircraft are stressed for 3.8, 4.4 and 6 Gs, respectively. What is the maximum allowable load factor for transport category jetliners?
3. Many airplanes are equipped with electrical inverters. What is the purpose of an inverter?
4. A pilot on a cross-country flight looks down and sees the tallest waterfall. Where is he?
5. Many multi-engine airplanes are equipped with ice protection plates. Where are they installed and what is their specific purpose?
6. What did aircraft designers Larry Bell, Donald Douglas and James McDonnell have in common?
7. What was the only American-built airplane to see action in WW1?
8. True or false; The simple square knot is one of the best to use when tying down an airplane with rope.
9. True or False; The circumnavigating Rutan Voyager, and the Spirit of St. Louis and at least one thing in common. Neither of them had brakes.
10. True or False, Two space shuttles are orbiting the Earth at the same speed and altitude. One however is a thousand miles behind the other. For the laggard to catch up with the leader, he should add thrust in the direction of travel.
11. Flutter can destroy an airplane and is a function of:
Calibrated Air Speed
Equivalent Airspeed
Indicated Airspeed
True Air Speed
12. Which of the following does NOT belong:
Emu
Gooney
Kiwi
Ostrich
Penguin
13. With respect to pilot qualifications, which of the following does not belong?
Controllable-pitch propeller
Flaps
Engine with more than 200 hp
Retractable landing gear
