NewsAccidents/Incidents
Virgin Atlantic A350 Damaged In Heathrow Tug Incident
A Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350 has been damaged in an incident during towing at London’s Heathrow Airport on Monday. The bar connecting the aircraft to the tug has somehow ended up underneath the aircraft’s nose landing gear. Exactly how this happened is not clear.
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SpiceJet Boeing 737 Diverts For Overspeed Landing With Flap Fault
A SpiceJet 737 diverted to a larger airport for an overspeed landing on Monday after facing flap issues. The pilots decided that Patna airport’s runway was too short to complete a high-speed landing and opted to divert to Varanasi instead. The plane landed safely and no passenger injuries have been reported.
LinkCommercial
FAA issues new training procedures for 737 MAX pilots
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a draft report on revised training procedures for Boeing 737 MAX pilots, moving the grounded jet a step further in the recertification process.
The report includes the recommendations from the Joint Operations Evaluation Board (JOEB) that was composed of the civil aviation authorities of the United States, Canada, Brazil and the European Union.
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Airbus Clocks 6 Orders In 1 Day For New Private A220 Jet
Earlier today, we wrote about Airbus and its Corporate Jet division launching a business jet variant of the A220-100. Airbus must have struck gold because, following the launch announcement, orders have already been taken for the new aircraft. A total of six ACJ TwoTwentys have been ordered – not bad for the first day of sales !
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King Air 360/360ER Awarded FAA Type Certification
Textron Aviation’s Beechcraft King Air 360/360ER has been awarded FAA type certification, a little more than a month after the upgraded twin-turboprop was announced. The first delivery is expected in the coming weeks.
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Boom Rolls Out XB-1 Supersonic Demonstrator
Boom Supersonic on Wednesday staged an online rollout ceremony for its one-third scale XB-1 demonstrator, scheduled to make its first flight sometime next year. Powered by three General Electric J85-15 turbofans, the composite-bodied XB-1 will fly up to Mach 2.2 ahead of the planned introduction of the Overture supersonic airliner, expected to make its own first flight in 2025.
LinkAirlines
Ex-Norwegian Air Shuttle investor to launch new Norwegian carrier
While Norwegian Air Shuttle is still attempting to claw its way out of a financial pit of despair, a team led by Erik G. Braathen, one of the initial investors of Norwegian Air, plans to establish a new Norway based air carrier.
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Why Did Alaska Airlines Remove The Virgin Brand So Fast ?
When Alaska Airlines bought out Virgin America in 2016, loyal passengers were worried it would ruin the brand. What they didn’t expect, however, was for the brand to disappear entirely. We take a look at why Alaska was so keen to get shot of everything Virgin America, and whether anything of the airline remains.
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Adria Airways' Air Operator Certificate Extended Despite Bankruptcy
Slovenia has extended the Air Operator Certificate for Adria Airways, its former flag carrier and national airline which went bankrupt more than a year ago. Let’s take a look at the reasoning behind this decision.
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British Airways Confirms Details Of Final Boeing 747 Heathrow Departure
British Airways has now confirmed its plans for a double Boeing 747 departure from London Heathrow Airport tomorrow. The occasion will be the last time that a Boeing 747 in the British Airways livery will ever leave Heathrow, ending an era spanning half a century.
Link
Happy Birthday: KLM Turns 101 While Air France Celebrates 87
October 7th marks a significant date in the airline industry, as two of its largest carriers celebrate their birthdays. Simple Flying wishes “Gelukkige verjaardag” and “joyeux anniversaire” to KLM and Air France, who respectively turn 101 and 87 today. These are unprecedented times for such celebrations, but how did the airlines get to where they are today ?
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Thai Airways Continues Offering Flights Despite Schedule Suspension
Thai Airways has decided that it will continue offering flights despite its schedule suspension to select markets. Just two days ago, in a press release, Thai Airways said it was suspending all international flights until the end of the year.
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Wizz Air Launches Domestic Norwegian Flights
Continuing its aggressive expansion, Hungary’s Wizz Air is about to start flying domestic routes in Norway. The ultra-low-cost airline is opening a base at Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport in November and will begin flying on three domestic routes. It expands on Wizz Air’s already considerable interest in Norway.
LinkAirports
Trial of a new travel assistant, Mona, launched by VINCI Airports
On 5 October 2020 at the VINCI Airports‘ Centre of Excellence for Innovation based at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport (LYS), Xavier Huillard, Chairman and CEO of VINCI Airports, and Nicolas Notebaert, CEO of VINCI Concessions and President of VINCI Airports, inaugurated Mona, the new travel assistant that will revolutionise the passenger experience.
Link
Mobile food ordering service introduced at Los Angeles Airport
Passengers travelling through Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) can now use their mobile device to order food and beverages from restaurants throughout the airport’s terminals – yet another way that passengers can have a tailored, contactless and comfortable experience while travelling through LAX.
LinkMilitary
From modern to vintage: new expansion of Indian fighter jet fleet
In a span of several days, Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed an intention to purchase a number of new fighter jet aircraft, including refurbished Soviet-made Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29s. It also considers buying more Dassault Rafales.
According to the Indian media, the long-negotiated order for MiG-29s is set to be placed by December 2020. Indian Air Force will acquire 21 Soviet-made jets that were left in an unfinished state since the 80s, but are going to be upgraded to the latest standard. A study on the abandoned airframes found them to be in good condition.
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Aviation Quote
The majority of aircraft accidents are due to some type of error of the pilot. This fact has been true in the past and, unfortunately, most probably will be true in the future.
- Hugh Harrison Hurt, Jr., in the preface of his book Aerodynamics For Naval Aviators, NAVWEPS 00-80T-80, August 1959.
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