NAS Daily 29 NOV 19

airtrainer 28 Nov 19, 23:35

News

Commercial

FAA orders PW1100G low-pressure turbine blade replacement
US safety regulators are set to order airlines to replace low-pressure turbine (LPT) blades on some Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines within as little as 90 days, according to a new US airworthiness directive.
The directive comes in response to more than 40 failures of the blades on PW1100Gs, which power Airbus A320neo-family aircraft, since 2017. Such failures have prompted regulatory action by other agencies, including India's civil aviation authority.
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Airlines

Aircalin returns new A330neo to Toulouse after noxious fumes
Airbus is investigating the cause of noxious fumes in the cabin of a brand new Airbus A330-900 after New Caledonian carrier Aircalin returned the aircraft to Toulouse, following complaints of headaches and eye irritation by cabin crew and passengers.
The Nouméa-based carrier only received its two Rolls Royce Trent 7000-powered A330-900s in July and October, with the aircraft replacing two A330-200s to operate routes from the French Pacific island territory to Australia, Japan, and other Pacific islands.
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IndiGo becomes latest IATA member
IndiGo has received its IATA membership certificate, becoming the fourth Indian airline and the second low-cost operator from the country to join the association.
IATA membership will help the airline align with global practices developed by the association, as well as further strengthen its partnership portfolio and accelerate its international expansion, says IndiGo.
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Flydubai leases Smartwings 737s to offset Max problems
Czech carrier Smartwings is to wet-lease four Boeing 737-800s to the Middle Eastern operator Flydubai, to help offset a capacity loss from the 737 Max grounding.
Flydubai states that it has finalised an agreement to lease the four -800s from Smartwings for the period from 14 December this year to 25 January 2020.
Link

PICTURE: SAS receives first A350
Scandinavia's SAS has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-900, one of eight of the twinjets the carrier has on order.
Airbus has confirmed the handover of the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered aircraft, MSN358, which is registered SE-RSA.
Link

Icelandair expects 737 Max to re-enter service in March
Icelandair is expecting the Boeing 737 Max to return to service in March next year, 12 months after its grounding.
The operator, which has several of the type parked, disclosed its expectation as it unveiled a flight timetable for 2020 which will involve a 4.8% reduction in capacity.
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Newly-delivered Ethiopian A350 damaged in ramp mishap
Ethiopian Airlines' newest Airbus A350-900 has been damaged by ground contact from a Turkish Airlines freighter at Kinshasa, less than eight weeks after delivery.
Both aircraft arrived at the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital N'djili airport on 27 November.
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Airports

Brisbane Airport readies for new runway operations
Brisbane Airport will start commissioning activities for its new runway early next year ahead of a scheduled launch of operations in mid-2020, after an almost eight-year preparation and construction project.
Once the new runway is operational, the Queensland airport says it will have the most capacity and the most efficient runway system in Australia, effectively doubling its current capacity to support more than 100 aircraft movements an hour.
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Military

R-R scores $1.2b contract for US V-22 engine maintenance
The United States Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force have signed a $1.2 billion contract with Rolls-Royce for engine maintenance of the Bell-Boeing V-22 fleet.
The five-year contract comes under R-R’s MissionCare services, and will cover the AE 1107C engines that power the tiltrotor fleet.
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MD530F wins additional Afghanistan order
MD Helicopters has secured a follow-on contract covering 12 MD530F light scout attack helicopters for the Afghan air force.
The order, awarded through the US Army, comes days after MD Helicopters announced that it had delivered the last examples from a previous Afghan contract for 30 MD530Fs.
Link

Poland removes MiG-29 grounding order
Poland has returned its fleet of RAC MiG-29 fighters to operational use, removing a grounding order that had been in place since a non-fatal accident earlier this year.
Announcing the resumption of MiG-29 duties, Warsaw’s armed forces general command says the decision was taken “after analysing the implemented recommendations” following a spate of accidents involving the Russian-built type.
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Aviation Quote

Months of preparation, one of those few opportunities, and the judgment of a split second are what makes some pilot an ace, while others think back on what they could have done.

- Colonel Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington, USMC.