NAS Daily 16 JUL 19

airtrainer 16 Jul 19, 04:29

News

Commercial

Bombardier Challenger 350 hits 300 deliveries milestone
Bombardier’s Challenger 350 has hit its 300th delivery milestone, five years after the first example of the super-midsize business jet entered service.
Launched in May 2013, the ten-seat aircraft is the second iteration of the Challenger 300, which Bombardier launched in 1999 as the Continental business jet. The model entered service four years later.
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ANALYSIS: The evolution of Airbus's biggest single-aisle
The launch by Airbus of its ultimate single-aisle – for the moment, at least – has put Toulouse on the front foot in the battle for the middle of the market. The vibe from the Paris air show was that the A321XLR was a good start – but by no means snuffs out Boeing's ambitions for its own mid-market programme, the New Mid-market Airplane (NMA).
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Qatar Executive boosts expansion with new Gulfstream order
Qatar Executive, the private aircraft charter division of Qatar Airways, has grown its orderbook of Gulfstream business jets with the purchase of 18 new examples that will help drive the VIP operator’s international expansion.
The $1 billion deal for 14 G650ERs and four G500s is Qatar Executive's third purchase of aircraft from the Gulfstream stable in five years. A 2014 order for 20 G650ERs, G600s and G500s was increased the following year by a further 10 G650ERs.
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Airlines

Investigators probe another Belavia 737 excursion at Kiev
Investigators are probing an overrun by a Belavia Boeing 737-300 at Kiev's downtown Zhulhany airport late on 12 July.
The aircraft (EW-336PA) had been operating the carrier's B2847 service from Minsk and had touched down on runway 26 in darkness at about 23:40.
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Delta expansion plan targets 200 Boston daily departures in 2021
Delta Air Lines sees a 200-flight daily operation out of Boston Logan International Airport as a reasonable “medium-term” target as it focuses on expanding at promising cities in its network, president Glen Hauenstein said. “We’ve been growing our own hub” at Boston, Hauenstein told analysts on the carrier’s recent earnings call, noting that some SkyTeam partners have been adding international destinations, such as Korean Air’s new Seoul ...
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Air Austral posts full-year net loss on ‘penalizing’ external factors
Reunion-based Air Austral has posted a €4.5 million ($5.1 million) full-year net loss, its first loss in five years. The airline cited stiff competition, higher fuel prices, adverse exchange rates, Boeing 787 groundings and public protests for the results.
Air Austral said the results for the year ended March 31, came against a “complex economic” and geopolitical backdrop, further impacted by the grounding of its two Boeing 787s because of Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 blade-wear issues.
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Air Italy to renew US services
Air Italy will serve four US destinations in summer 2020, despite complaints by several US airlines that it is effectively acting as a front for its largest shareholder, Qatar Airways.
The Arab carrier holds a 49% stake in Air Italy and is leasing aircraft to re-fleet the Sardinia-based operator.
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China’s Juneyao Airlines may open service to Athens
Athens, Greece will likely be the next intercontinental destination for Shanghai-based Juneyao Airlines, a company spokesperson said, as the privately owned carrier targets countries covered by Beijing’s Belt and Road economic program. Seeking niches to avoid direct competition, Juneyao will look for routes that other airlines are not serving, the spokesperson said.
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Qazaq Air grows network out of Kazakhstan capital
Kazakhstan regional airline Qazaq Air will base one of its newly delivered De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s at Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport.
The turboprop began flights July 6 from the airport in the Kazakhstan capital of Nur-Sultan, formerly Astana.
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Wizz Air UK to launch service to Russia
Wizz Air UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Central and Eastern European LCC Wizz Air, will launch daily Airbus A321 flights from London Luton to Moscow Vnukovo and St. Petersburg Pulkovo airports from Oct. 1, becoming the second UK-designated carrier on the routes.
“We will be the only UK carrier flying to St. Petersburg and on both new routes,” Wizz Air UK managing director Owain Jones said.
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Royal Brunei, Malindo Air tie-up to begin regional operations
Brunei’s flag carrier Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) plans to launch a regional operation for the island of Borneo, in a tie-up with Malindo Air.
Known as RB Link, the new business wing will wet lease two new ATR 72-600s and aims to connect five cities around Borneo to the kingdom’s capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.
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Pakistan reopens airspace to all civil traffic
Pakistan reopened its airspace on 15 July to all civil traffic, ending around six months of restrictions that impacted aircraft flying over the country.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority issued a NOTAM reopening the airspace shortly after 19:00 GMT allowing civil traffic to use all published air traffic routes.
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Volaris plans more US flights after decade of transborder service
Mexico's Volaris plans to further grow US service, as the ultra low-cost carrier marks its 10th anniversary of operating transborder flights.
The airline sees potential to connect existing points in its US and Mexican networks, chief executive Enrique Beltranena tells FlightGlobal.
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American extends Boeing 737 Max cancellations to November
American Airlines is extending cancellations of flights scheduled on the Boeing 737 Max through 2 November, matching moves by other major US airlines while regulators have set no date on when those aircraft could be cleared to return to service.
American says it "remains confident that impending software updates to the Boeing 737 Max, along with the new training elements Boeing is developing in coordination with our union partners, will lead to re-certification of the aircraft this year".
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Airports

New check-in area opens at London Stansted
Passengers using London Stansted this summer will benefit from a new and improved check-in area thanks to the completion of the latest terminal upgrade as part of the airport’s ongoing transformation project.
Eight new check-in desks opened at 5am yesterday with passengers travelling with TUI to Heraklion in Crete the first to use them.
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SEA-TAC celebrates first phase opening of new north satellite
Alaska Airlines and the Port of Seattle are celebrating the completion of the first phase of the North Satellite Modernization Project at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
According to the airport, the new-look satellite will bring "an elevated travel experience to passengers flying in and out of the modern and expanded facility".
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Popular pizza outlet opens at John Wayne airport
Lightening fast pizza outet, Blaze Pizza, has opened an outlet at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in California.
Global restaurateur HMSHost and partner S&C Robinson Enterprise operate the new pizza shop in the airport’s Terminal B/C.
The airport notes that the addition of Blaze Pizza expands dining options for SNA travellers with a segment-leading fast casual pizza experience.
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On average, three new jobs are generated daily at Munich Airport
More than 38,000 people are employed at Munich Airport, Bavaria’s air transportation hub, and this figure shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.
Figures from the latest employee survey at Munich Airport, conducted by the airport operating company, Flughafen München GmbH (FMG), have been revealed.
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Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport expands Terminal 3
Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport will expand its Terminal 3 (T3) facility by adding an 80,000 sq m fifth passenger hall.
The airport has two main terminals: T3 for international flights and T1 for domestic and LCC international flights.
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Military

PICTURES: UK's first Poseidon MRA1 makes flight debut
The UK’s first Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft made its flight debut on 12 July, with company test pilots completing a short transfer from the manufacturer’s Renton final assembly site to Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington. Online flight tracking sites show that the debut sortie lasted 47min.
Following the installation of military-specific equipment, the adapted 737-800 (ZP801) in October will be transferred to the US Navy’s NAS Jacksonville site in Florida, where a first batch of Royal Air Force (RAF) aircrew and engineers have already received instruction.
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France eyes Chinook helicopter acquisition
France is considering the acquisition of an undisclosed number of special forces-roled Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters for its air force.
Although the French military operates extensive numbers of Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracal and NH Industries NH90 Caiman rotorcraft – both in the 11t class – the country's deployment in Mali has been augmented by three Royal Air Force Chinooks.
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USA clears Greek MH-60R acquisition
The US government has cleared the potential sale of seven Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky MH-60R multi-mission helicopters to Greece.
The $600 million package includes the rotorcraft, which are optimised for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare tasks, as well as sensors, weapons, and services related to the acquisition.
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