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CAAC suspends issuing airworthiness certificates for Boeing 737 MAX 8
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has stopped issuing airworthiness certificates for Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The decision will affect new 737 MAX 8s and any certificates that come up for renewal, although all of the aircraft type have been grounded in China since March 11. The CAAC has not publicly announced the decision, which was sent out in a March 21 industry notification seen by ATW. Noting the crashes of Indonesia’s Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX ...
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China agrees to buy 300 Airbus aircraft
China Aviation Supplies Holding Co. (CAS) has signed a general terms agreement (GTA) with Airbus for 290 A320 family aircraft and 10 A350s, in one of the Toulouse-based manufacturer’s biggest narrowbodies deals. The agreement was signed by Airbus Commercial Aircraft president & CEO designate Guillaume Faury, and CAS chairman Jia Baojun during a state visit by China President Xi Jinping to France.
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Boeing: 777X sales reflect shifting trends in widebody orders
Boeing is confident that sales of its Boeing 777X family, which it views as solid, will move at a steady pace, underscoring airlines’ shifting widebody ordering patterns.
“I would make the argument that we’re doing pretty well,” Boeing VP-marketing Randy Tinseth said, noting that the recent 18-order, 24-option 777-9 deal announced by British Airways (BA) takes the 777X order book up to 358 “orders and commitments.”
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Airbus hopes to double Skywise digital platform customers
Airbus’ Skywise data sharing and analysis platform could double to 100 airline customers this year, top Airbus executives reportedly told an investor conference March 20.
According to Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts, who hosted Airbus CEO-designate Guillaume Faury and CFO Harald Wilhelm, Airbus is looking to grow revenue from services but wants to be highly placed in the value chain. They said 50 airlines have tried out Skywise.
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Nav Canada launches space-based aircraft tracking in Edmonton FIR
Nav Canada began space-based tracking of aircraft flying in the eastern part of its Edmonton flight information region (FIR) March 25, marking the first operational use of the Aireon surveillance system carried by new Iridium Next satellites.
The Aireon system consists of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) receivers carried as “hosted” payloads on the second-generation satellites. Aireon received control of its final ADS-B payloads in early February following full deployment of the Iridium Next operational constellation of 66 low-Earth orbit satellites.
LinkAirlines
AirAsia X, Airbus finalizing details on potential A321neoLR order
AirAsia X is working with Airbus on details of a potential order for longer-range versions of the A321neo, with discussions covering issues such as configuration, quantity, timing and variant. The airline is “finalizing a few things” before placing the order, AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail told ATW, declining to talk about the timing. Introducing narrowbodies would represent a major change for the low-cost carrier, as until now it has operated A330 widebody aircraft.
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WOW Air bondholders agree to convert debt to equity
Icelandic ultra-LCC WOW Air has won approval from its bondholders to convert debt to equity following the recent collapse of talks with two potential investors.
In a brief notice to investors March 26, the carrier said: “Bondholders have formally approved to convert their bonds into equity and formal discussions with investors have commenced to fund the company. This is an important milestone in financially restructuring the company and secur[ing] the long-term sustainability of WOW Air.”
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EVA Air to begin 787-9 service on three European routes
Taiwan’s EVA Air will begin Boeing 787-9 operations to Europe from May 9 on its 4X-weekly Taipei Taoyuan-Bangkok-Vienna route, as well its 3X-weekly Taipei-Vienna nonstop service.
The 787-9 will replace 777-300ERs on the routes, as it will in October on Taipei-Amsterdam services.
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Swedish cargo specialist looks to Spanish company for possible financing
Sweden-based freight airline West Atlantic is in talks with Spanish company LUSAT over possible refinancing.
LUSAT is a holding company with interests that include Spanish cargo carrier Swiftair and Aviation Leasing Spain.
West Atlantic describes LUSAT as a potential new shareholder. It adds that the talks include major existing bondholders in the company and revolve around West Atlantic’s “outstanding bond loan,” together with discussions of ‘principal terms for a refinancing of the Group.”
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Belavia to resume Minsk-Moscow Sheremetyevo service
Belavia Belarusian Airlines will resume flights between Minsk and Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport beginning April 22 with twice-daily Embraer E195 service.
With that route, Belavia now serves three of Moscow’s four airports, with nearly 10X-daily service to the Russian capital, the airline said. The carrier also operates from Minsk to Moscow Domodedovo International Airport, and to Zhukovsky International Airport near Moscow.
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Virgin Atlantic to open first South American route in 2020
UK-based long-haul specialist Virgin Atlantic will open its first service to South America in 2020, with flights between London Heathrow and São Paulo, Brazil.
The carrier will start a daily service, operating a three-class, 264-seat Boeing 787-9 on the route.
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Korean Air adds two routes, adjusts others for summer
Korean Air has made changes to its 2019 summer schedule, adding two new routes and adjusting other services.
Strengthening its joint venture with Delta Air Lines, the South Korean flag carrier will launch a direct flight from Seoul to Boston on April 12, using Boeing 787-9s.
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Interjet grounds two-thirds of SSJ100 fleet
Mexico's Interjet has grounded more than two-thirds of its Sukhoi Superjet 100 fleet, with dozens of engines out of service as the airline remains locked in talks with Sukhoi over the withdrawal of the aircraft.
Fifteen of Interjet's 22 SSJ100s are in storage while only seven aircraft remain in service, Cirium's Fleets Analyzer shows. The stored aircraft were parked as early as April 2018, although about half of the 15 aircraft went into storage in the second half of 2018.
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Qantas hails successful first year of Perth-London flights
One year since it opreated its first nonstop Perth-London flight, Qantas has lauded it as a major success for the company and Australian tourism.
The airline released a special “report card” to commemorate one year since its first flight on the route, which shows that the average load factor on the route has been around 94% on its 236-seat Boeing 787-9s.
LinkAirports
Humane Society plaque for Montréal Trudeau's Pet Squad
The Humane Society International/Canada (HSI/Canada) has awarded Montréal-Trudeau Airport (YUL) an honourary plaque for its Pet Squad.
The plaque highlights initiatives that promote the benefits offered by pets.
Since the beginning of October, a squad composed of 30 dogs has been delighting Montréal-Trudeau passengers.
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Brussels Airport’s February numbers severely impacted by national strike
With a slight decrease of 0.5 per cent due to strike action which made air travel impossible for 24 hours, Brussels Airport’s numbers were not where they were expected to be from this time last year.
Brussels Airport's February numbers severely impacted by national strike
Over 1.6 million passengers visited Brussels Airport in February 2019 – a slight 0.5 per cent decrease on the same month in 2018. This decrease is down to the national strike which took place on the 13 February 2019, which made air traffic in Belgium impossible for 24 hours.
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New iGA pass will create an exclusive passenger experience
As nearly 40 per cent of an airports revenue comes from non-aeronautical streams, Istanbul Airport has launched a new lounge service to ensure they get the very most out of this integral line of revenue.
As part of the new membership pass, there are separate services passengers can gain from the membership, as the needs of each individual passengers are different to one another. Each membership pass includes: Lounge, Buggy (Mini Golf Vehicle), Fast Track, Priority Check-in, Car Park, Valet, and Intercity Transfer.
LinkMilitary
Raytheon developing new Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar for U-2
Raytheon is developing a new version of its air-to-ground Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASARS-2B) to be mounted on Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady surveillance aircraft.
The company says it has a $320 million undefinitized contract with the US Air Force to develop the new radar.
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Brimstone 3 test success fires MBDA ambitions
The latest iteration of MBDA's combat-proven Brimstone precision-strike weapon has undergone a successful first test firing. Conducted at the Vidsel range in Sweden, the telemetry unit-equipped Brimstone 3 was deployed from a surface launcher against a pick-up truck target.
"All trial objectives were fully achieved, with the missile proving full closed-loop guidance, with the seeker progressing into target acquisition and track," the company says. The testing included operating in conditions down to -30˚C (-22˚F), it notes.
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LIMA: Malaysia bolsters Su-30MKM support
A Malaysian aerospace group has developed a programme for the 10-year service inspection of the Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter.
An Su-30MKM that underwent Aerospace Technology Systems’ (ATSC) inspection regime was officially presented to the country’s prime minister at the Langkawi international Maritime Exhibition.
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LIMA: Hawk celebrates 25 years in RMAF service
The BAE Systems Hawk has celebrated 25 years in Malaysian service, with the company highlighting the industrial benefit derived from the 1990s acquisition.
Company executives hosted Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad beside a jet that carrying a special silver jubilee logo.
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Indian air force accepts first four CH-47F Chinooks
India’s air force formally inducted its first four Boeing CH-47F(I) Chinook heavy-lift helicopters into its inventory on 25 March.
The helicopters were handed over during a ceremony held at Air Force Station Chandigarh that was attended by senior air force dignitaries.
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Aviation Quote
To be alone in the air at night is to be very much alone indeed. . . cut off from everything and everyone . . . nothing is 'familiar' any longer . . . . I think that unfamiliarity is the most difficult thing to face; one feels rather like Alice in Wonderland after she has nibbled the toadstool that made her grow smaller — and like Alice, one hopes that the process will stop while there is still something left!
- Pauline Gower
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