NAS Daily 21 OCT 20

airtrainer 20 Oct 20, 23:02

News

Accidents/Incidents

Indonesia refuses to refuel US Navy P-8 Poseidon patrol plane
Indonesia refused to allow the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft of the United States Navy to refuel on their land when they operate in the Pacific Ocean.
Despite multiple demands from U.S. officials, Indonesian president Joko Widodo rejected the request, according to official sources quoted by Reuters. The refusal was motivated by Indonesia’s neutral stance in the contest of influence currently playing in Southeast Asia between China and the United States.
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Aeroflot Employees Charged In $50 Million iPhone Smuggling Scheme
The US department of justice has unsealed documents confirming charges against ten Russian nationals for a $50 million smuggling operation. Several of those charged are current and former employees of Russian airline Aeroflot. The agents investigating the case believe that holding positions within the airline was crucial to the smuggling ring’s success.
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Mask Refusing Passenger Attacks Flight Attendant On Delta Flight
A Delta Air Lines flight attendant was attacked on Monday night onboard a flight from Miami to Atlanta after a passenger refused to wear a mask. The unruly passenger struck the flight attendant across the face after refusing to comply with onboard safety procedures.
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Commercial

Embraer Has Delivered 16 Commercial Jets So Far In 2020
Brazilian planemaker Embraer announced the results of its third quarter, highlighting that it delivered a total of 28 jets during the timeframe. Of course, it’s a little less impressive when you see how the aircraft types break down, with just 21 of the 28 jets being executive aircraft.
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Will We Ever See Another Double Decker Plane ?
One of the key features of the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A380 is their double-deck design. On two levels, airlines can provide every comfort for premium passengers, or can use the space to pack in over 600 passengers. But will we ever see planes like this again ?
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Airlines

Singapore Airlines introduces world’s longest flight to JFK
Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) announced that it would once again return to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on November 9, 2020, flying a direct itinerary from its hub, Changi Airport (SIN).
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Will Pakistan International Airlines survive its troubles ?
While the whole industry has been battling the current crisis, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been looking down at an even deeper one. Ravaged by the pandemic, a commercial aircraft disaster, fall out due to fake pilot licenses, and subsequent bans to operate to Europe and the United States, PIA has quite the road ahead of itself.
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China Express to expand fleet with 100 COMAC order
China Express Airlines confirmed its intentions to expand its fleet by 100 brand-new aircraft. The airline plans to acquire 100 aircraft from China Commercial Aircraft Company (COMAC), a Chinese state-owned aerospace manufacturer.
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ASL Airlines prepares 1st converted Boeing 737 for Amazon flights
ASL Airlines, the Irish operator of scheduled freight services, plans to operate its Boeing 737-800BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter) on behalf of Amazon Prime Air, the giant of the e-commerce services. ASL Airlines would become the first carrier in Europe to operate its jet painted in Amazon livery and the newest airline-partner of an American internet sales company.
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Qatar Airways could keep its A380 grounded for two more years
Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways CEO, said a return to service of the Airbus A380 would be unlikely for at least two years, as he did not expect demand to recover in that timeframe.
”There will not be that kind of demand, and if demand starts to grow and people start deploying the A380, you will only be able to achieve it by dumping the price,” Al Baker commented at the Airlines 2050 online conference.
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Cathay Pacific Could Scrap Its Cathay Dragon Brand
Cathay Pacific could be looking to scrap its subsidiary, Cathay Dragon. The potential branding drop was first reported by the South China Morning Post and would accompany job cuts of around 25% across Cathay airlines.
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Wizz Air's CEO Doesn't See The Industry Returning To Pre-Pandemic Size
Wizz Air’s CEO has said today that because of the COVID-19 crisis, the world’s aviation industry will be much smaller. He doesn’t expect the industry to return to pre-pandemic levels, and he sees many privately funded airlines going under.
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Finnair To Axe 10% Of Its Workforce
Finnair, the Finnish flag carrier, has today announced that it is to cut 700 jobs. The airline is also continuing its program of long-term temporary layoffs for thousands of its employees.
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Air New Zealand Looks To Mystery Flights To Generate Bookings
As airlines worldwide struggle to survive through the COVID-19 medical emergency, Air New Zealand is looking at mystery flights to generate bookings. The beauty of these mystery flights is that, unlike flights to nowhere, people taking them will not just be aiding the airline but helping New Zealand’s tourist industry.
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Cathay Pacific Will Fly Only 50% Of Pre-Crisis Capacity In 2021
Hong Kong’s leading airline has made it clear that things are not looking very bright for the rest of 2020, but in 2021, the airline expects to be flying 50% of its pre-crisis capacity. This comes as the airline continues to see passenger numbers down over 98% year-over-year.
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Airports

Heathrow Airport Begins Pre-Departure COVID Test Program
Heathrow Airport has launched a pre-departure rapid testing program for COVID-19. The tests will be available for passengers flying to Hong Kong and Italy from Terminals 2 and 5. The cost of the test is currently borne by passengers, with tests needing to be prebooked.
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