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China Development Bank Scraps 29 Boeing 737 MAX Orders
China Development Bank Financial Leasing (CDB) is the latest in a long line of airlines and lessors to ax a substantial part of its Boeing 737 MAX orders. On Monday, CDB announced it had agreed with the plane manufacturer to cancel the delivery of 29 out of its 101 MAX backlog.
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Antonov An-225 Mriya breaks two records in one week
Antonov An-225 Mriya, the largest aircraft in the world, had a busy week participating in a coronavirus outbreak relief effort. Along the way, the super-sized transporter seemingly broke cargo volume transported by air records twice within one week.
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Post-coronacrisis aviation: Middle Market Aircraft golden age?
The past few weeks, which have felt like months, were filled with anxiety and uncertainty within the aviation industry. It seemed like changes were coming at an unprecedented rate, as governments around the world started imposing travel limits to prevent the spread of COVID-19, with changes to the limits occurring on a daily basis. While the situation has normalized as much as it can under such circumstances, with airlines operating only crucial flights, including cargo and repatriation flights, the outlook is as foggy as the opening scenes from the video game Silent Hill.
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Airbus Begins Offering Contactless Aircraft Delivery
With nations around the world in lockdown, everyone is keen to stay home. Traveling far away to pick up your new aircraft is probably not considered an essential journey, and that’s a problem for both airline customers and the manufacturer too. To solve this issue, Airbus has come up with a new way of delivering its aircraft without requiring personal contact.
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The Future Of Economy Class? Yin-Yang Seating
The problems presented by the COVID-19 pandemic run far deeper than just the immediate shock. For aviation, many of the fundamentals of flying have been brought into question; in particular, the penchant for stuffing as many people into the cabin as possible. Aviointeriors, an Italian design firm, has presented a new concept for economy seating that could go some way to tackle this problem.
LinkAirlines
Virgin Australia Formally Goes Into Voluntary Administration
Virgin Australia has formally entered into voluntary administration. The airline notified the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) at 22:51 UTC on 20 April 2020. Virgin Australia and its receivers will use the opportunity to re-capitalize the business.
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Air Canada Suspends All Flights To The US
Today, Air Canada announced that it will entirely suspend scheduled transborder flights after April 26th. This move comes following the extension of the travel restrictions between Canada and the United States. The two countries agreed to introduce border measures to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
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How airBaltic Is Winning With The Airbus A220
Latvian airline airBaltic is bucking the trend of the current aviation market. Rather than deferring or canceling its order for A220s, the airline is negotiating to get them faster. Airline CEO Martin Gauss is already laying the foundations for rapid post-COVID expansion, and it’s all fueled by the A220.
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Austrian Airlines To Retire Half Of Its Boeing 767 Fleet
Announced today, Austrian Airlines is to retire half of its Boeing 767 fleet as it deals with its post-pandemic future. The Lufthansa Group airline has been working out how to return from a complete grounding of scheduled services.
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Emirates Pushes Regular Flight Resumption Until July
Emirates has confirmed that it will not resume regular flights until at least July. After initially suspending operations in March for two weeks, Emirates has been running a skeleton schedule. All flights have been solely to help repatriate citizens to and from the United Arab Emirates. The airline had planned to begin offering more regular flights before the end of May, but this has now been pushed until the 1st of July.
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End Of An Era: Corsair Retires Its Final Boeing 747
TUI subsidiary Corsair is retiring its three Boeing 747-400s one year earlier than planned. Letting them go will effectively end France’s affair with the jumbo jet, as the Paris-Orly based carrier was the last French airline to operate the 747.
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Lufthansa Removes All Seats From 4 Airbus A330 Aircraft
Lufthansa is in the process of removing all of the seats from four of its Airbus A330s. These aircraft are being used as freighters. The action is in addition to using Airbus A350s to transport freight on the seats.
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How Ethiopian Airlines Plans To Dominate The Skies Of Africa
A member of the Star Alliance, Ethiopian Airlines is well-known as the largest airline in Africa. The flag carrier of Ethiopia flies to destinations in North America, Europe, Asia, and, of course, Africa. But its African presence and influence doesn’t end with the airline itself. In fact, Ethiopian Airlines, as a larger company has stakes in numerous other African airlines, giving it more influence than meets the eye.
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What The Future Of Jet Airways Looks Like One Year On
Jet Airways suspended operations just over a year ago, but that doesn’t mean the airline is out of the news. Since then, the airline has been actively seeking investors in the hopes that it can pay its debts and fly again. So what does the future hold for Jet Airways in these uncertain times?
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China Could See A Wave Of Airline Mergers
China is one of the fastest-growing and most important airline markets in the world. However, as travel demand plummets to all-time lows, the market may lead some airlines to collapse. Now, an HSBC Global Research report from April is indicating that further consolidation may be likely.
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Air Canada Allows Passengers To Earn Status Sitting At Home
From now through May 31st, Aeroplan members can earn Air Canada Altitude status without ever leaving their house. If you earn 50,000 Aeroplan Miles through “Travel at Home” activities, you will receive Altitude Prestige 25K status through 2021.
LinkAirports
Los Angeles International Airport launches ‘LAX At Home’
As communities throughout California, the U.S. and the world fight the spread of COVID-19 by staying safer at home and avoiding non-essential travel, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) continues to engage with its communities by making activities available that are perfect for avid travellers.
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Beijing Capital International Airport awards design contract for Terminal 3
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) has announced that it has appointed The Design Solution (TDS), a specialist airport design consultancy, to redevelop the commercial planning and design of the international departure lounge at the airport’s Terminal 3.
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Stansted Airport uses fall in traffic to undertake runway maintenance
London Stansted Airport’s (STN) engineering team is using the unprecedented grounding of aircraft across the globe due to the COVID-19 pandemic as a unique opportunity to move planned overnight runway maintenance works to daytime hours.
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France Is Currently Only Receiving European Flights
Elisabeth Borne, the French Minister for Transport and Environment, had today announced that all air links from France to places outside the Schengen zone have now been halted. She clarified that the decision was not a part of any policy restricting incoming flights. Instead, it is representative of all airlines from outside the Schengen area stopping their services to France. This includes flights from French airlines like Air France, Corsair, and French Bee.
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Aviation Quote
The airline business is fast-paced, high risk, and highly leveraged. It puts a premium on things I like to do. I think I communicate well. And I am very good at detail. I love detail.
- Robert L. Crandall, CEO & President of American Airlines.
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Trivia
WW2 Luftwaffe
1. The JU-87 "Stuka" was not a pretty site to look at, all the less so when it was hurtling towards you at an 80 degree angle, but it was not pleasant to hear either. It had a siren on its port landing gear. What was the nickname the crews gave this device?
The Horns of the Reich
The Trumpets of Jericho
The Sirens of Jericho
The Trumpets of Victory
2. This out-of-date bomber was used for high altitude reconnaissance by Germany for a short period of time after the Battle of Britain. Which was it?
Junkers 88P
Junkers 86R
Dornier 217N
Dornier 23R
3. Germany shortly before WW2 is commonly believed to have had little interest in long range heavy bombers, but in fact it had one of the largest supporters of long range bombers from the get-go. Who was he?
Ernst Udet
Ernhard Milch
Kurt Student
Walter Wever
4. Many medium bombers that Germany had were converted into night fighters when the need arose. Which of those was unpopular with its crews?
Junkers 188
Junkers 88
Dornier 217
Messerschmitt 110
5. The He-177 was a great aircraft when it worked. What was one of the things the RLM (Reichsluftministerie) did that caused the 177 to go from a great bomber to a great disaster?
Elimination of the evaporative cooling system
Demands that poor French engines power the He-177
Demands that the He-177 be built out of wood
Underpowered BMW 132 Bramo engines
6. Which one of the three German Battle of Britain bombers could carry the most tonnage, and which could carry the least over a short distance?
Junkers 88, Junkers 87
Junkers 88, Junkers 87
Dornier 215, Heinkel 111
Heinkel 111, Dornier 17
7. This is the only bomber in World War II to have a top speed of over 460mph, what was it?
Arado 234
Heinkel 111P
Arado 232
Junkers 388K
8. The Junkers 287 was the intended replacement for the aging Stuka in 1944. With forward swept wings, two Junkers 003 turbojets and something interesting captured from the Americans, the JU-287 would have been a formidable ground attack/bomber aircraft. What was the American "contribution"?
Landing gear taken off B-24's
Rockets of P-47 wing racks
Guns off of P-51D fighters
Norden bombsights off of B-17's
9. Ground attack was a field of bombers in which the Germans excelled. Convinced that more armor was necessary to protect the pilots of ground attack aircraft Henschel came up with the HS-129, what was its nickname?
armored Panzer destroyer
The flying tank
The flying armored car
the flying assault gun
10. The Germans had originally decided to build one carrier known as the Graf Zeppelin. What were the two types of aircraft that were designed to be based on the carrier?
Fi-282, Do-215
He-115B, Bf-110E
Fi-167, Ju-87C
Ju-87T, Bf-109L
