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Canada Bans Foreign Travelers Until At Least August
Canada has confirmed that its ban on foreign entry will be maintained until at least the end of July. Also extended is the requirement for returning Canadian citizens coming from abroad to quarantine for 14 days. This will come as a blow to the aviation industry in Canada and further afield as it was hoped international flying could begin ramping up soon.
LinkCommercial
Airbus to Slash 15,000 Jobs, Cut Output by 40 percent
Airbus plans to cut 15,000 jobs by next summer in response to a 40 percent drop in its commercial aircraft business activity resulting from the Covid 19 crisis, the company said Tuesday. The European airframe maker added that it already has begun a consultation process with unions in an effort to reach agreements for implementation starting this coming autumn.
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Why Airbus Aircraft Have Side Sticks While Boeings Have Yokes
When looking at the cockpit of any plane, you’ll notice many similarities: an array of switches, information screens, and more. However, one difference you might see is the presence of a yoke or of a sidestick, depending on the manufacturer. While Airbus aircraft feature a side stick, Boeing planes come with a yoke to steer the aircraft. But why is this? Does it make a difference in the functioning of the plane?
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Why Was Concorde's Production Stopped?
At peak production, twenty Concorde aircraft were built for two customers with 18 other airlines taking options on the plane. Yet, no airline realized these options, and the aircraft’s production eventually stopped. With millions of dollars in options on the table, why did manufacturers cease production and end the supersonic age early?
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US Government Report Finds Boeing Did Not Alert FAA On MAX Design Changes
An Inspector General (IG) report from the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) on the 737 MAX has finally been completed. It is slated for public release on July 1st. However, initial reports indicate that, during the initial certification process for the MAX, Boeing did not alert the FAA to changes to the flight control system, MCAS, which has been at the center of the MAX debacle.
LinkAirlines
Coronavirus Brings Cabin Humidity Levels into Question
Jeff Gusky, an emergency room doctor, believes the aviation industry is ignoring vital information that could help prevent infection by coronaviruses like Covid-19. The key is high humidity, he explained, because low humidity levels are a critical factor in the spread of Covid-19.
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Helvetic Airways Takes Delivery Of Embraer’s 1600th E-jet
Today, Embraer delivered its 1,600th E-Jet, an E190-E2 to the Swiss carrier Helvetic Airways. The Brazilian company, which has been around since the 1960s, introduced the E-Jet family back in 2004. Let’s investigate further.
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Why Legacy Carriers Are So Expensive Despite Cuts To In Flight Services
Legacy carriers worldwide have been under heavy market pressure over the past few years. Increased competition from low-cost and ultra-low-cost airlines, alongside the deregulation of the aviation industry, have caused most to scale back the services they offer. However, at the same time, the general perception is that they did not reduce their prices to match this. So why are legacy airlines still so much more expensive than their low-cost counterparts?
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Will Austria’s Aviation Price Floor Stand Up To Legal Challenges?
Austria made waves in the European aviation market when it announced last month it would be implementing a price floor on all flights out of the country. The €40 minimum price instantly prevents low-cost airlines from running services at their usual cost. The government claimed it was an environmental move; opponents say its protectionism for the national flag carrier. Is it right, and will it stand up to scrutiny?
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Finnair To Start Offering Passengers 'Clean Kits'
As borders reopen and restrictions ease up, the fight to regain passenger confidence and trust in air travel is on. As Finnair is scaling its schedule back up, the airline is adding the offer of a curated “clean kit” to the mix. It will be provided on all the carrier’s flights starting today, July 1st.
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Alaska Airlines Copies Soccer With Warnings For Mask Offenders
Alaska Airlines has taken inspiration from soccer and will be issuing passengers with yellow cards as warnings. Starting in July, the airline will allow cabin crew to give passengers a card if they refuse to wear a face mask during a flight. The card will carry a warning that the passenger faces suspension from future travel if they do not comply.
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United Airlines Set To Add 25,000 More Flights In August
United Airlines has announced that it is adding 25,000 flights to its August schedule. This, in effect, triples the number of flights that the Chicago-based carrier operated in June.
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Virgin Atlantic Set To Recieve An Additional £200m From Branson
It has today been announced that Virgin Atlantic is set to receive £200 million of immediate funding from the Virgin Group. The commitment, along with additional shareholder support, comes as the struggling airline urgently tries to secure a £1 billion refinancing package this month.
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Two In One Week - British Airways Takes Delivery Of Second Boeing 787-10
British Airways has been reduced to operating a skeleton service during the current pandemic, unaided by the UK Government’s 14-day quarantine. However, while the airline’s flying schedule is limited, its delivery schedule has been relatively busy this week. The airline has taken delivery of not one, but two Boeing 787-10 aircraft.
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Ryanair Returns To The Skies As 50% Of Refunds Now Processed
Today marks Ryanair’s big push to return to the skies following three months of operating few services. The airline intends to operate around 1,000 daily services from today onwards, having operated just 20 routes per week at the height of the crisis. Despite the UK’s quarantine, the airline’s CEO, Micheal O’Leary, has said that flights today should have a 70% load factor.
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No El Al Flights Until Further Notice
Every El Al flight has been grounded until further notice. Following the announcement of significant losses in the first quarter of 2020, the CEO of the airline, Gonen Usishkin, has today ordered all aircraft to return to Israel, including those operating cargo flights.
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How Airlines Can Prepare For The Next Pandemic
As airlines struggle with the current pandemic, it might be helpful to use this time to prepare for the next one. Airlines could benefit from instituting a number of measures, from the corporate level to onboard, to protect itself. What could some of these measures be? Let’s find out.
LinkAirports
Passengers Have Been Stuck In Hong Kong Airport For Up To 3 Months
Numerous passengers have found themselves stuck in transit at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) amid COVID-19 travel restrictions. These passengers, arriving from Dubai, the United Kingdom, and Canada – have been living in limbo for up to three months.
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Greece reopens regional airports, says Covid-19 risk calculated
Greece reopened its regional airports to international flights on Wednesday, pinning its hopes on a recovery in tourism after a three-month lockdown.
The Mediterranean nation, emerging from a decade-long debt crisis, has been unwinding travel restrictions to kick-start its tourism sector, which accounts for a fifth of its economic output and employs 700,000.
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Western Sydney Airport seeks contractor for baggage handling system
Western Sydney Airport is looking to award the contract for the design, construction and operation of the airport’s baggage handling system.
Jim Tragotsalos, Western Sydney Airport’s Interim Chief Executive Officer, said the baggage handling system would play a vital role in the airport’s operation.
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ACI World provides a vision for the future of airport security post COVID-19
Airports Council International (ACI) World has released its Smart Security Vision 2040; an outline on achieving a seamless airport security screening experience post COVID-19.
This is part of the Smart Security programme which promotes concepts and solutions that take a risk-based approach, increase efficiency and enhance the passenger experience.
LinkMilitary
USAF's Last 'Spooky' Gunship Heads to the Boneyard
The U.S. Air Force has sent the last AC-130U “Spooky” gunship to the Boneyard, capping a career spanning three decades. The gunship, named “Gunslinger,” was sent to the Arizona desert for what is likely a one-way trip. Another of the heavily armed transport planes, “Big Daddy,” earned a coveted black letter for excellence and a spot at the Hurlburt Field outdoor museum.
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The F-35 Can’t Fly Anywhere Near...Lightning
The F-35 Lightning II strike fighter is temporarily barred from flying near actual lightning. More than a dozen Air Force F-35s were discovered with damage to a system designed to prevent catastrophic damage from lightning strikes. The damaged systems place the aircraft in danger of exploding if the airplane were hit by lightning in mid-flight.
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National Guard Chopper Lifts 'Into The Wild' Bus Out of Alaskan Wilderness
An abandoned bus that figured prominently in the book and film Into the Wild was picked up by the Alaska National Guard and flown to an undisclosed location. The bus, where adventurer Christopher McCandless died of starvation in 1992, attracted backpackers and hikers fascinated by the McCandless’ story, some of whom became lost or died.
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Aviation Quote
A bird is an instrument working according to mathematical law, which instrument it is within the capacity of man to reproduce with all its movements.
- Leonardo da Vinci, Treatise on the Flight of Birds, 1505.
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Editor's Choice
Trivia
General Trivia
1. “I apparently was the first to pilot a heavier-than-air aircraft in controlled flight. I also was first to use the term, ‘aero plane,’ and even wrote a small book with that title. I died following a crash in an aircraft of my design, and my last words were, ‘How is the machine?’ Who am I?”
2. True or False? A pilot is about to land an airplane with the right landing-gear leg and nosewheel extended but with the left landing-gear leg stuck in its well. The ailerons are equipped with conventional trim tabs that are controllable from the cockpit. During landing and rollout, the right aileron tab should be deflected fully downward.
3. Why did some airmen training at Midland, Texas, during World War II have a higher incidence of black eyes than airmen training elsewhere?
4. How can you tell the difference between a U.S. Naval aviator and a traditional Naval officer who does not fly simply by looking at their feet?
5. A pilot wants to fly a perfectly rectangular pattern while in the left traffic pattern for Runway 36 when the wind is strong and from the northeast. This requires that the radius of all turns be the same with respect to the ground. Assuming a constant airspeed throughout the pattern, the most steeply banked turn will be required when turning from
a. base to final.
b. crosswind to downwind.
c. downwind to base.
d. upwind to crosswind.
6. True or False: Most of the American aircraft that took off from Oahu during the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor were shot down.
7. True or False: It is legal for a VFR-only pilot to fly extended distances in a small airplane above a solid undercast with no more than the instruments required for VFR flight.
8. Who was the first woman in the United States to become a licensed glider pilot?
