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Airbus A321XLR Still On Track For 2023 Launch
This week, Airbus gave an update on the progress that it is making on its A321XLR program. Despite the global health crisis rocking the aviation industry, the manufacturer remains on course to have the jet ready by 2023.
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How High Can Commercial Passenger Planes Fly?
We are all used to hearing announcements of how high our aircraft is flying. But why is this? How high are aircraft permitted to operate, why do they do this, and what are the limitations of going higher? In this article, we will take a look at these questions.
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Airbus to Furlough 3,200 UK Workers at Broughton Plant
Airbus on Monday said it would furlough some 3,200 production and production-support workers at its aircraft wing production site in Broughton in Wales. The company has agreed with its employee unions to apply the UK government’s Job Retention Scheme, which pays 80 percent of wages, and “top up” salaries by another 5 percent to 11 percent.
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Bell 525 Edges Closer To Certification
Bell might be entering the home stretch on its 525 super-medium twin program. The helicopter OEM recently announced that it had completed noise testing to satisfy FAA Part 36 certification standards during a series of sorties conducted over Bakersfield, California.
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Embraer Files for Arbitration over Failed Boeing Tie-up
Embraer on Monday said it has filed for arbitration against Boeing in connection with the U.S. manufacturer over the weekend of plans to purchase 80 percent of the Brazilian airframer's commercial airplane business for $4.2 billion.
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Leaked Airbus Memo Warns Cash Flow Could Threaten Its Existence
Amidst the coronavirus crisis, European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has issued an assessment of the impact on its business. In a letter to staff, CEO of Airbus, Guillaume Faury has said that the company was “bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed”. Since the stability and financial health of Airbus might be at stake, Guillaume has informed the staff of possible job cuts and salary reductions.
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What Does Embraer’s Future Without Boeing Look Like?
Many experts and analysts are wondering about the future of aviation as the entire industry tries to adapt to overcome the current situation. But at Brazil’s Embraer, thoughts are more focused on the immediate future as its merger with Boeing collapses. What can, and what will, Embraer have to do to weather this storm?
LinkAirlines
Where Does Leftover Food From Planes Go?
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) found that in 2017, 1.14 million tonnes of food was wasted from in-flight catering, according to its research. Action has been taken to manage waste in recent years but where does all this unusable food go?
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Indonesian International And Domestic Flights Halted Until June
In an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus, Indonesian authorities will prohibit both international and domestic air travel from tomorrow through to June 1st. Largely an Islamic country, this move coincides with the start of Ramadan – a time when Muslims travel to their hometowns.
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Stobart agrees to buy back regional unit and aircraft lessor
Stobart Group has agreed with the administrators of Connect Airways to buy back Irish regional carrier Stobart Air and aircraft lessor Propius in a deal aimed at managing outstanding financial commitments.
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Condor secures future as €550 million German state loan granted
European Commission regulators have approved a €550 million ($595 million) loan from the German state to help struggling leisure carrier Condor through the coronavirus crisis.
Condor says the package, granted under the federal government’s Corona Shield Programme, secures its flight operations after Polish Aviation Group (PGL) withdrew from its planned purchase of the carrier.
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SIA Group reserves liquidity for aircraft purchases
SIA Group has set aside S$3.3 billion ($2.3 billion) of the S$8.8 billion it plans to raise, from issuing equity and mandatory convertible bonds, for aircraft purchases and aircraft related payments.
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Vietnam domestic market shows signs of life
Vietnam’s domestic air travel market is taking tentative steps back to normality with the country’s airlines adding flights as the coronavirus pandemic ebbs.
Vietnam Airlines has started operating four to six flights daily on the key Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route, with this to grow to 11 flights daily in May. The mainline carrier’s services will be supplemented by two daily services by low-cost unit Jetstar Pacific.
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American Airlines Doubles Time Passengers Must Be At The Gate
American Airlines has doubled the time that passengers should be at the gate before a domestic flight. The US carrier has introduced the new guidelines as it continues to deal with the global crisis.
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IAG Seeks Lower Purchase Price For Air Europa
International Airlines Group (IAG) is now seeking a new price for Air Europa amid the coronavirus pandemic. Five months after news first broke that the conglomerate was taking over the Spanish airline, IAG is now saying that the airline is worth less than it was before.
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easyJet Airbus Order Decision Due On May 22nd
European budget carrier easyJet is at a crossroad. It’s well-publicized civil war is due to come to a final showdown on May 22nd. The results of an investor vote on what to do regarding its large Airbus aircraft order will be revealed on this date.
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LOT Polish Airlines In Talks With Boeing Over Temporary 787 Freighter Conversion
Continuing our coverage on airlines using their passenger aircraft for cargo, Polish carrier LOT is in talks with Boeing to modify its 787 Dreamliner jets. The news, reported by Reuters earlier today, would mitigate the substantial loss in revenue experienced in the past month due to COVID-19.
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How Aid Could Complicate The Air France-KLM Relationship
The Air-France-KLM Group has managed to secure crucial funding as it tries to survive through the global health crisis. However, with the two arms of the holding company relying on their respective governments for aid, their relationship could be getting more complicated.
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Canadian Authorities Clarify Position On Airline Refunds
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is clarifying a statement it made at the end of March that supported Canadian airlines issuing vouchers and credit instead of giving cash refunds for canceled flights. The government agency says that its initial position on airlines’ right to issue vouchers is “not a binding decision.”
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The New Norwegian: Fewer Planes, Fewer Routes, More Ancillary Revenue
Documents provided in a Monday presentation to bondholders show that low-cost carrier Norwegian Air is preparing itself for various scenarios in the coming months as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of its strategy for survival and ultimate recovery will see the airline shrink its operations and focus on its ancillary revenue over the next few months.
LinkAirports
Argentina Is Banning Passenger Flights Until September
The Argentinian Government issued a decree banning all commercial flights in the country until 1 September 2020. This measure is the latest taken to fight back the current coronavirus pandemic but international aviation organizations are opposing it. At the time of writing, Argentina has 3,892 active cases and 192 deaths. Let’s investigate further.
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Aircraft overflow parking guidance published by ACI World
Airports Council International (ACI) World has published a list of practices to assist airports in mitigating the risks created by temporary aircraft overflow parking on airport infrastructure, as many airports are being forced to accommodate entire grounded fleets due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Aviation Quote
My Luftwaffe is invincible. . . . And so now we turn to England. How long will this one last — two, three weeks?
- Hermann Goering, German Air Force Minister, June 1940.
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General Trivia
1. A British pilot holds the world record for having flown the most different types of aircraft, 487. He also holds the world record for having made the greatest number of carrier landings, 2,407. Unfortunately, not enough pilots know this remarkable pilot's name. What is it?
2. A pilot knows the maximum cruise speed and climb performance of his airplane when flown at maximum gross weight. He is curious to know, however , how this performance could be affected if the gross weight by 25 percent. How can her determine this during flight without actually overloading the airplane?
3. What is the largest, heaviest, most-powerful, piston-engined airplane ever produced?
4. A pilot over the 48 conterminous states flies along a parallel of latitude until he reaches his destination, which is 10degrees of longitude east of his departure point. If the time of sunset at the departure airport is 0020 UTC, what is the time of sunset at the destination airport?
5. True or False, each of two major US airlines have had well-publicized, major accidents involving the same type of airliner on the same day?
6. A most inspiring radio report was transmitted by a World War 2liaison pilot on 23 FEB 45. He transmitted matter-of-factly, "Target Area One Two Three Peter. One flag. Red, white and blue." Where was this target area?
