MEA Airbus A330 Damages Turkish Airlines 777 In Ground Collision A Middle East Airlines (MEA) Airbus collided with a Turkish Airlines aircraft in Lagos yesterday afternoon. According to social media reports, the MEA’s winglet clipped the Turkish Airlines plane while getting pushed back by airport ground staff. Link
Commercial
Boeing reports $2.4 billion net loss, postpones 777X to 2022 Boeing reported a $2.4 billion loss for the second quarter of 2020. The manufacturer announced it would slow down production further due to the impact of Covid-19 on air transport. The first delivery of the 777X is officially postponed to 2022. Link
Boeing confirms that production of 747 will end in 2022 Rumors about the end of production of the Boeing 747 were put to bed, as Boeing officially confirmed that the final Queen of the Skies will roll out in 2022. Aircraft makers worldwide are experiencing a steady decline in orders due to the global pandemic. On July 29, 2020, Boeing announced a loss of $2.3 billion in Q2 2020 and a decrease in production rates for several of its models, including the Boeing 787 and the 777. Link
How Aircraft Engines Are Tested Before Production Most of us don’t give aircraft engines much through. Sometimes, when you’re in the sky, you see the engines hanging under the wing and maybe ponder the sheer improbability of physics and everything holding together at 37,000 feet. Then you go back to your wine and iPad, comfortable that despite everything, it will all work. We take aircraft engines for granted, assuming they will work flawlessly. The manufacturer’s records and reputations assure us. But there is a lot of work put into getting us so comfortable and reassured. Link
Boeing Expects 4th Quarter 737 MAX Return And Over 400 Deliveries In One Year Boeing expects that the 737 MAX will return to service by the fourth quarter of 2020. Once the aircraft is recertified, the planemaker is planning to deliver most of its 400+ stored 737 MAX aircraft within a year. Link
Airlines
Aeromexico’s situation worsening amid bankruptcy and layoffs Aeromexico’s Q2 2020 financial results report net loss of $1.3 billion (MXN27 billion) and 84.5% decrease of revenue as over a tenth of the company's workforce got fired, indicating deepening problems for the largest Mexican airline. Link
Wizz Air expands as Q1 reports near negligible losses Wizz Air’s Q1 FY2021, financial results revealed a $127 million (€108 million) statutory net loss, exceedingly low in contrast to other airlines’ quarterly financial performances. At the start of FY2021, the Hungary-based carrier suffered a 92.2% decrease in passenger revenue but managed to compensate by reducing its total operating expenses by 67.1%. Link
Cathay Pacific to fly one-third of its fleet abroad for storage According to Hong Kong media, some aircraft of Cathay Pacific and its affiliate airlines will leave for Alice Springs in Australia for storage this week. The first batch will involve about 12 Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon aircraft. Cathay Pacific said it had decided to move about one-third of Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon fleet to locations outside of Hong Kong in the next few months under prudent operation and asset management considerations. Link
Emirates to restore route network to 67 destinations from Aug 10 On July 27, the Gulf carrier announced the resumption of its route network to Nairobi from August 2, and Baghdad and Basra from August 10, as it expands its growing network and offers its customers more convenient connections to Dubai and through Dubai. The carrier will resume passenger services to Seychelles from August 1, operating the network 5 times a week with a B777-300ER and also bolster its services to the Maldives from August 4 on the same weekly frequency as published by Logistics Update Africa. Link
Airports
Heathrow Reports £1 Billion First Half Loss As Passengers Drop 60% London’s Heathrow Airport today revealed that is has lost just over £1 billion ($1.30 billion) before tax and adjustments in the first six months of 2020. The news comes as the airport simultaneously revealed that passengers using the airport had fallen by 60% compared to the same period in 2019. In more positive news, the airport is starting to show signs of recovery. Link
JFK Airport’s Terminal 4 implements new social distancing monitoring technology JFKIAT, the operator of Terminal 4 (T4) at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), has announced the launch of camera-enabled technology with new SafeDistance capabilities; making T4 the first air terminal in North America to launch this technology. Link
Military
Indian Rafales under Iranian fire during stopover in UAE While ferrying between France and India, the first five Dassault Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) stopped over for the night in Al Dhafra Air Base, in the United Arab Emirates. During their halt, the base went under high alert as three Iranian missiles crashed into the waters nearby. Link
US COVID relief act includes $1.4B for F-35 fighter jets The new $1 trillion COVID-19 aid bill introduced by United States’ lawmakers contains funding for new F-35 fighter jets as the Senate seeks to battle the pandemic in more ways than one. Link
Space
Virgin Galactic reveals their $250K a seat spaceship cabin Richard Branson’s space tourism company Virgin Galactic revealed the interior design of their SpaceshipTwo, a space plane designed to provide astronaut-like experience for everyone willing to pay $250,000. Link
Aviation Quote
The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn't it be? —it is the same the angels breathe.
1. What Soviet bomber was a "bolt for bolt" clone of the American B-29 Superfortress? Tu-22 Tu-4 An-12 Il-14
2. What is the only turboprop powered *strategic* bomber ever put into military service? Tu-4 Tu-95 Tu-22 An-124
3. What BEST describes the original Tu-16 Badger? Intermediate range bomber Command and Control Intercontinental range bomber Airborne early warning
4. The Tu-22M Backfire is a modification of the Tu-22 Blinder. True False
5. What is the American counterpart to the Russian Su-25 Frogfoot? A-7 Corsair II A-10 Thunderbolt II F/A-18 Hornet A-1 Skyraider
6. What is the world's largest "swing wing" aircraft? B-1B Lancer T-160 Blackjack Tu-95 Bear Tu-22M Backfire
7. What is the Soviet equivalent of the USAF's C-5 Galaxy? An-12 Cub Il-76 Candid An-124 Condor An-24 Coke
8. What is the NATO code name for the Mi-24? Hip Helix Havoc Hind
9. What aircraft would be be found embarked on a Soviet Navy ship? Mi-28 Hip Mi-28 Havoc Ka-25 Hormone Ka-50 Hokum
10. Which is NOT true about the Ka-50 Hokum A? It can perform loops It is single seat helicopter. It has been produced in large numbers. It has coaxial rotors.
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