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Boeing's New CEO Starts Today & Has A Tough Time Ahead
David Calhoun has officially stepped into Dennis Muilenberg’s shoes today, as he takes the reins of CEO at beleaguered aircraft manufacturer Boeing. The new CEO might be a fresh face, but his job is filled with old troubles, as he’s tasked with driving the company out of the problems that plagued it over the past 12 months.
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China's COMAC C919 Faces A New Mathematical Headwind
China’s attempt to compete with Airbus and Boeing in the single-aisle twin-engine airliner market has suffered another blow after COMAC engineers miscalculated load factors. Four people familiar with the development of the plane told Reuters that Chinese engineers sent the wrong mathematical data to the engine manufacturer CFM International.
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First Ilyushin IL-96-400M Takes Shape
United Aircraft Corporation’s Transport Aircraft division has mated fuselage and outer wing sections of the first Ilyushin Il-96-400M widebody quad jetliner, the company reported on January 10. The press statement comes with photos depicting the airframe in the final assembly shop of VASO plant in Voronezh, Russia. It further indicates that VASO has moved into the next development phase, which includes installation of avionics, other onboard systems, and the interior.
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First Airbus BelugaXL Enters Service
Two months after the Airbus BelugaXL gained European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification, the OEM’s first whale-shaped oversized air transport entered service, the company announced Monday. Airbus plans to introduce a further five BelugaXLs by 2023, providing the European airframer the much-needed extra transport capacity it needs to support the ongoing production ramp-up of its commercial aircraft programs.
LinkAirlines
United Passenger Attempts To Storm Cockpit
A frightening incident happened onboard a United Express flight from Washington Dulles to Newark International. On January 9th, a man allegedly stormed the aircraft’s cockpit, attacked a flight attendant and injured six police officers.
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Alaska Airlines Ties Flight Discounts To The Northern Lights
Alaska Airlines have once again come up with a unique and somewhat quirky way to offer discounts on its flights by linking the fare price to the visibility of the Northern Lights.
The Seattle, Washington based airline ran a similar promotion last November in an attempt to get last-minute travelers to buy a ticket to Hawaii.
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American Airlines Employee Accused Of Stalking Passenger
An American Airlines passenger is suing the airline over allegations that she was stalked by one of its members of staff. The customer has shared that she received unexpected text messages from the employee, with some of them stating that he was watching her.
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Aeroflot's New Airbus A350 Paint Scheme Revealed In Toulouse
Aeroflot’s first Airbus A350 has been spotted fully painted in Toulouse. Rather than the usual metal grey that adorns the fleet, the A350 has a stunning white livery applied to it. The aircraft is due to be delivered to the Russian flag carrier later this year.
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Hi Fly Set To Retire All Its Airbus A340s By 2022
Portuguese wet lease specialist Hi Fly has revealed its plans for the Airbus A340. The carrier, with nine in its fleet, plans to retire the type by 2022, but what will it replace the ionic quad jet with?
With airlines all over the world slowly phasing out the four engine aircraft, we were keen to know just how long Hi Fly planned to continue using the A340 for.
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Qatar Airways' Latest Codeshare Agreement Isn't With An Airline
Qatar Airways has announced its latest codeshare agreement. However, unlike most codeshare agreements, it isn’t with another airline. Instead, the Qatari flag carrier has partnered with Germany’s national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn.
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SAS Flight Attendants Could Go On Strike Next
Scandinavian Airlines may soon face yet another crushing strike among members of its cabin crew. Sources at the Norwegian financial daily newspaper “Finansavisen” have reported that an upcoming strike may take effect after Easter, if the current terms and working conditions for members of its cabin crew does not improve.
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Cathay Pacific Confirms It Won't Cut Capacity To New York
On Saturday we reported that Cathay Pacific would be cutting its capacity to New York JFK. The schedule on its website appeared to show that, on October 25th and onwards, only one out of the three daily services were available. While we had requested a comment from the airline, they’ve only just recently responded – telling us that there is, in fact, no capacity reduction – just a lag in its system.
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Regional Carrier Flybe In Financial Trouble Again
News has emerged that UK regional airline Flybe is engaged in talks with the government to save itself from financial collapse. Sources say that Europe’s largest regional airline is working with the UK’s Department of Transport as well as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in hopes that government assistance can keep the struggling airline operating.
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JetBlue Reduces Passenger Compensation For Delays
Standardized monetary compensation from airlines to passengers is something of a novel concept in the U.S. It doesn’t have the generous compensation offered in the EU. In fact, JetBlue is the only American airline to provide its customers with specific compensation rates. However this year it’s gone into cost-cutting mode and dropped its maximum compensation.
LinkAirports
Wow: Qantas And Singapore Airlines Planes Covered With Ash In Manila
Footage has emerged online of aircraft parked at Manilla Airport coated in volcanic ash. The Philippine city has been on high alert for more than 24 hours now, as earthquakes and eruptions of ash and steam have suggested that volcano Taal is on the verge of an eruption.
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Volcanic Eruption Disrupts Manila Airport Operations
Plumes of ash and steam from a volcano in the Batangas province some seventy kilometers south of Manila has forced the closure of Ninoy Aquino International Airport overnight. Last night and throughout this morning, scores of flights have been canceled, disrupting the travel plans of thousands.
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Consultation begins for future aircraft flight paths at LJLA
Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) has begun a 12-week consultation of future aircraft flight paths as part of the modernisation of the UK’s airspace, which will involve potential changes to the routes currently taken by aircraft departing from and arriving at the airport.
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Heathrow and Munich announce record traffic figures
A record 80.9 million passengers (+1%) passed through London Heathrow in 2019 to cement its status among the top ten busiest airports in the world, while Munich enjoyed a healthy 4% rise in throughput when handling 47.9 million passengers.
The upturn at Heathrow, which represented the airport's ninth consecutive year of growth, was driven by larger and fuller aircraft.
LinkMilitary
Finland’s Multi-role Fighter Challenge Gets Under Way
By the end of 2021, the Finnish ministry of defense is due to have selected a new multi-role fighter to replace the F/A-18C/D Hornet aircraft of the Suomen Ilmavoimat (Finnish air force) by 2030. As part of the selection process for the program, known as HX, the five contenders have been invited to Finland to take part in what has been dubbed the “HX Challenge,” a series of in-country evaluations.
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State Department Approves F-35B for Singapore
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that the State Department has approved the sale of 12 Lockheed Martin F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft to Singapore. The $2.75 billion package—announced on January 9—includes four firm orders and eight options.
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Aviation Quote
The pilot who teaches himself has a fool for a student.
- Robert Livingston, Flying The Aeronca.
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. Upon touchdown, the rudder of a Space Shuttle orbiter splits open and becomes a speed brake. What well-known general aviation airplane incorporated such a feature long before America’s manned space program started?
2. The first air-to-air refueling occurred on 12 NOV 21. How was this accomplished?
3. What was so unusual about the 1931 French-built Makhonine MAK-10 monoplane?
4. What was the name of the famous 1930s airship that was involved in a New Jersey accident and claimed more lives than any other accident in a dirigible?
5. The primary purpose of feathering a propeller following an engine failure is to reduce drag and improve engine-out performance. What are two other important reasons for feathering?
