NewsAccidents/Incidents
Austrian Airlines Dash 8-400 Returns Over Cabin Pressure Problems
After experiencing a problem with cabin pressure, an Austrian Airlines Dash 8-400 operating a flight from Vienna to Stuttgart was forced to return to Vienna on Thursday. The crew declared an emergency and initiated a rapid descent, but the aircraft landed safely.
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FAA Recommends Airlines Warn Pilots About Boeing 787 ILS Issue
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin for owners and operators of Boeing’s Dreamliner on Thursday. The bulletin applies to the three Dreamliner models, the 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10. In their bulletin, the FAA flags the possibility of the autopilot flight director system failing to capture the localizer on an ILS approach.
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FAA closes Harrison Ford’s case: 78-year-old actor to fly again
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) closed the investigation of an incident, in which actor Harrison Ford was piloting a small jet and wrongly crossed a runway. The American authority decided to let Ford continue flying.
LinkCommercial
General Electric GE9X receives FAA certification
General Electric announced that its commercial aircraft engine, the GE9X, achieved certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The GE9X will be used to power the Boeing 777X, which is currently undergoing flight testing to also be certified by the FAA.
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More troubles for Boeing 787: FAA warns of autopilot problems
On September 24, 2020, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a special bulletin warning Boeing 787 Dreamliner operators of potential for autopilot flight director system (AFDS) failure.
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Airbus looking for alternative ways to limit job cuts ?
Airbus announced it considers a possible way to keep its employees and limit job losses. The European manufacturer thinks about the idea to reduce working time in production areas in France for the next two years in order to help the struggling company confine the job cuts.
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How Far Can A Modern Twin Jet Fly On One Engine
With twin-engine jets becoming the norm these days, we thought we would take a look and see how far a modern twin-engine airliner can fly on one engine. Until not that long ago, transoceanic flights were nearly always flown with aircraft with four engines. This was because when it comes to how many engines a plane has, there is safety in numbers. If one engine was to fail, you still had three others to get you to your destination.
LinkAirlines
Heavy losses weaken Qatar Airways: state to inject $2 billion
Qatar Airways announced it will receive $2 billion (RM8.3 billion) in state aid after suffering significant annual losses in the financial year 2019-2020. However, in exchange for financial help, the airline will issue 730 million shares to the government.
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Wizz Air delays launch of Abu Dhabi subsidiary new UAE base
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, a joint venture between the Hungarian budget airline and Abu Dhabi state holding company ADQ, has repeatedly delayed the launch of its newest base in the United Arab Emirates. The carrier postponed the launch date until November 15, 2020.
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How Airlines Can Restore Trust In Long-Haul Flying
While flying has been in the doldrums for much of 2020, there are welcome green shoots in some markets. But long-haul flying everywhere continues to stagnate at record low levels. That’s causing significant problems at airlines, particularly legacy mainstream airlines who’ve long invested considerable infrastructure and resources into long-haul flying.
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Ecuatoriana Airlines Revival: Everything You Need To Know
Ecuatoriana de Aviación is a former airline that ceased operations in 2006, but now it is trying to revive under the brand Ecuatoriana Airlines. Little has been published on the subject, as the plans are relatively recent, but we have an update on the future of Ecuatoriana. Let’s investigate further.
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United And Pilots Reach Deal For No Furloughs Until 2021
United Airlines pilots have approved an agreement with the airline that will see no United pilot furloughed until at least June 2021. The airline had previously planned to furlough around 2,850 pilots, which are now canceled, and keeps 13,000 pilots employed.
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Qatar Airways Begins Disinfecting Aircraft Cabins With UV
Qatar Airways has begun to disinfect aircraft using ultraviolet technology. The Doha-based carrier is using technology from Honeywell, and says it is the first global airline to be using this technology.
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Delta Air Lines Plans First Airbus A220-300 Flights For November
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has announced a start date for the Airbus A220-300. The new narrowbody will be based at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and will begin operations on November 10th.
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Air Astana Has No Immediate Need For The Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Kazakhstan’s flag carrier, Air Astana, has no immediate need for its Boeing 787 Dreamliner order, according to the airline’s CEO Peter Foster. Foster made the comments during a recent interview with Simple Flying.
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Asiana Airlines Plans Airbus A380 Flights To Nowhere
Asiana Airlines recently announced its plans to operate sightseeing tours out of Incheon International Airport. These “flights to nowhere” will roam above the skies of South Korea, offering an authentic flying experience many travel enthusiasts have longed for during the coronavirus pandemic.
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WestJet Incredibly Excited To Welcome Back The 737 MAX
Canadian low-cost airline WestJet is excited to get the MAX back into service. While it sees the aircraft being allowed to fly in Q4 of 2020, it doesn’t expect to see it on its own schedules until probably next year. Nevertheless, Jeff Martin, Chief Operations Officer at WestJet, has said that the airline is ‘committed’ to the MAX and excited to see it in its fleet.
LinkAirports
Airport Health Accreditation for Hyderabad’s gateway to the world
Operator, GHIAL, has announced that Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has achieved Airport Health Accreditation (AHA).
The accreditation recognises the airport’s efforts to make it a safe environment for passengers and staff in line with ACI’s Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) Recommendations along with industry best practices.
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Unique new retail outlet opens at LaGuardia’s Terminal B
Marshall Retail Group (MRG), a WHSmith Group company, has opened its newest airport store in Terminal at New York LaGuardia (LGA).
Called the DEAN inside LaGuardia Airport (LGA), the 5,000-square-foot retail space is said to be specifically designed to “the needs of the modern LGA passenger”.
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Making terminals safer through HVAC design
Like many other industries across the globe, with the pandemic still in full swing, airports around the world continue to add enhanced layers of protection to ensure the safety and wellbeing of passengers, and optimising the ventilation systems in terminals to improve the air quality is one of them.
LinkMilitary
Nagorno-Karabakh: downed helicopters and Turkish drones ?
After almost thirty years of latent conflict, the landlocked region of Nagorno-Karabakh has recently been the theater of violent confrontations. While it is hard to distinguish the truth from propaganda spread by both belligerents, it appears that at least one Mil Mi-8 transport helicopter of the Azerbaijan Air Force was shot down by Karabakh forces.
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Norway’s F-35 deliveries steady as international tensions rise
In the evening of September 27, 2020, three Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets reached Norway’s Ørland Airport, as the Nordic nation continues to joust with Russia over the Barents Sea.
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50.1% of Swiss voters approve the acquisition of new fighter jets
On September 27, 2020, Switzerland held a referendum on whether it should acquire or not new fighter jets. 50.1% of voters have voted “yes” to the procurement of new aircraft for the Swiss Air Force.
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Aviation Quote
We have focused on derivatives for several years, but when it's time to do a new airplane, it's time to do a new airplane.
- Michael B. Bair, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president for business strategy and development, announcing the 'Sonic Cruiser' (which was eventually canceled), 29 March, 2001.
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Editor's Choice
Trivia
General Trivia
1. The phrase, “have numbers,” is used by pilots to advise ATC that they have the:
a. altimeter setting.
b. runway and approach in use.
c. current ATIS information.
d. runway in use, wind velocity and altimeter setting.
2. The typical price paid by the U.S. government for a new North American P–51D Mustang during World War II was:
a. $6,572.
b. $21,572.
c. $36,572.
d. $51,572.
3. Glenn Miller, famed American jazz musician, arranger, composer and band leader of the swing era, disappeared on December 15, 1944, during a flight from southern England to Paris where he was to entertain troops who had recently liberated the French capital. The airplane in which he disappeared was a:
a. Beech C–45 Expediter.
b. Noorduhn (Nordyne) UC–64 Norseman.
c. Westland Lysander Mk.1.
d. Stinson L–12 Reliant.
4. True or false; The first production airplane manufactured by North American Aviation was the T–6 Texan.
5. True or false; During an episode of Star Trek, Mr. Spock was seen using the iconic Dalton E6B computer to calculate precisely when the Enterprise would smash into a planet.
