NewsAccidents/Incidents
FAA Takes A Stand Against Unruly Passengers After Crew Raise Concerns
This week in aviation in the US was all about security. After the events in Washington D.C., flight attendants raised concerns as they faced unruly passengers onboard aircraft. As airlines and law enforcement agencies bolster air security and legislators consider what to do in Washington D.C., the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken a stand against unruly passengers, warning that those who pose a safety risk will face penalties.
Link
14 Passengers Banned By Alaska Airlines After Rowdy Behavior
Airlines have been busy since the summer banning passengers for violating their mask policies amid the pandemic. This week, Alaska Airlines banned 14 customers on one flight for not complying with its mask measures and for harassing the carrier’s employees.
Link
Air Canada Jazz CRJ900 Diverts After Smoke Indication In Lavatory
On January 7th, a Jazz Aviation CRJ900LR flying from Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Toronto had to divert to Moncton (New Brunswick) after the aircraft’s lavatory smoke detector was triggered. Onboard the aircraft were 29 passengers and four crew members.
Link
Using Fake IDs For Free Flights Gets Ex-Airline Employee 30 Months In Prison
An American man has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in federal prison, having pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A former Mesa Airlines employee, he had stolen information from his ex-colleagues to book free flights on Spirit Airlines using their credentials.
Link
Truck Gets Wedged Underneath Wizz Air A320neo In Poland
This week, a water-supply truck found itself wedged beneath a fairly new Wizz Air Airbus A320neo in Gdańsk, Poland. The aircraft was being prepared for a flight to Stockholm, Sweden, when the incident took place.
Link
WestJet Has Already Stopped Passengers Without COVID Tests
Canada’s WestJet prevented ten passengers from boarding their flight on Thursday after they failed to produce a valid negative COVID result. The passengers were flying from Cancun to Calgary.
LinkCommercial
Boeing To Pay $2.5 Billion Over MAX Fraud Conspiracy
The wilful misconduct of two former Boeing employees will cost the big United States aircraft manufacturer a hefty US$2.5 billion. This follows an agreement entered into between Boeing and the United Department of Justice (DOJ) to resolve a criminal charge. The charge was related to a conspiracy to defraud the FAA’s Aircraft Evaluation Group concerning their evaluation of the 737 MAX.
Link
Why Some Aircraft Come With Different Engine Options
Today we thought we would take a look at why some aircraft manufacturers offer their planes with different engine options and the reasons behind why they do this. Looking at the overall picture, you would assume that Airbus and Boeing would figure out the best engine option for the plane they were building and go with one engine design. The truth, however, is not as black and white as you would initially think.
Link
Scientists May Have Found A Way To Turn Carbon Dioxide Into Jet Fuel
In today’s increasingly environmentally-conscious society, many contemporary technological developments in aviation have the planet’s future in mind. One particular area that has seen extensive research is the fuelling of aircraft. For years, hydrogen-powered flight has been considered the next step for environmentally-friendly air travel.
Link
Airbus Delivered 566 Commercial Aircraft To 87 Customers In 2020
Airbus today revealed its confirmed orders and deliveries for 2020. The figures showed that the European manufacturer delivered 566 aircraft to 87 different customers throughout the course of the year. The deliveries mean that Airbus will have beaten its reported informal target if 560 deliveries for the year.
Link
Aerolease Cancels Orders For The Mitsubishi SpaceJet
On Friday, Mitsubishi and Aerolease issued a joint statement announcing the cancellation of an order for ten SpaceJet aircraft. The move leaves the Japanese aircraft corporation with orders for 207 of its regional jet and comes a few months following the program’s indefinite postponement.
LinkAirlines
Saudia To Resume Flights To Doha From Monday
As Saudi Arabia ends its blockade against the state of Qatar, flag carrier Saudia is set to resume service to Doha for the first time in three and a half years. The flight resumption is the result of six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states signing a “solidarity and stability” agreement, referred to as the “al-Ula Statement,” on January 5th. Saudia will operate multiple flights per week to Doha from its Riyadh and Jeddah hubs.
Link
Air India To Fly All-Female Cockpit Crew On Bangalore To San Francisco Launch
Air India will fly an all-female crew on its San Francisco-Bangalore inaugural flight later today. The flight is Air India’s longest, spanning over 16,000km and takes 17 hours and flying over the North Pole. The newest route comes as both American and United launch their own services from Bangalore to the West Coast.
Link
Italian Startup EGO Airways Outlines Where It Wants To Fly
Italian regional start-up airline EGO Airways has announced that it intends to begin flying a point-to-point network of routes between various Italian cities starting on January 7. Initially, the airline will commence operations with two Embraer E190s based at Forli Luigi Ridolfi Airport (FRL) in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) on the island of Sicily.
Link
Azores Airlines Beats Air Transat For Longest Airbus A321LR Flight
Azores Airlines has beat out Air Transat for the longest commercial Airbus A321LR flight recorded. On January 3rd, the carrier flew a nonstop flight between Lisbon and Bogota, taking just under 10 hours. Air Transat’s flight clocked in at under nine hours. According to the airline, the flight highlights the versatility of the Airbus A321LR.
Link
Icelandair's 737 MAX Fleet Could Bring Exciting New Destinations
The Boeing 737 MAX has been slowly making its return in recent weeks. The type had been grounded since March 2019, but it’s set to feature prominently again for airlines by the time 2021 is over. Simple Flying spoke with Icelandair’s CEO, Bogi Nils Bogason, about how the jet will help open up doors for the flag carrier of Iceland.
Link
Titan Airways Takes Delivery Of First A321P2F Freighter
This week, wet lease and charter airline Titan Airways took delivery of its first A321P2F – or passenger to freighter aircraft. The former Thomas Cook UK jet, once capable of transporting 220 passengers, has been converted to a full, permanent, and dedicated freighter – something sure to be a continuing trend moving forward.
Link
British Airways Ups Its Game For Short-Haul Catering
British Airways today revealed its new catering proposition on short-haul flights. The British flag carrier’s moves see considerable changes in the short-haul economy offering, while additional improvements will be seen in other cabins across the fleet.
Link
Ryanair to launch Boeing 737 MAX services in UK market
Ryanair plans to launch its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft services in the United Kingdom. The flights would begin this summer, Ryanair Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Eddie Wilson said on January 7, 2021.
LinkAirports
Ostend Airport experiences significant increase in cargo volumes in 2020
Ostend–Bruges International Airport (OST) ended 2020 with excellent cargo results; the traded volume increased by 112.7 per cent in 2019 to 52,659 tonnes. However, the number of passengers decreased by 75.6 per cent to 111,499 due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Link
Bad Weather Impacts Madrid Airport Operations
Spain’s busiest airport, Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas (MAD), has been forced to close overnight due to adverse weather. Storm Filomena has brought heavy snowfall to much of a country generally better-known for its sunnier weather. The difficult conditions are expected to continue today.
Link
Montenegro Airlines Collapse Brings New Carriers To Podgorica
Several foreign airlines are increasing capacity to Montenegro or launching new routes to its two airports, Podgorica and Tivat. These moves follow the decision by the country’s government to shut down its national airline and flag carrier of 26 years, Montenegro Airlines.
Link
Miami International Airport enjoys busiest day since beginning of pandemic
Miami International Airport (MIA) experienced its busiest day since the pandemic began when it handled 90,000 passengers on January 3.
Link
Aviation Quote
Sometimes I watch myself fly. For in the history of human flight it is not yet so very late; and a man may still wonder once in a while and ask: how is it that I, poor earth-habitituated animal, can fly?
Any young boy can nowadays explain human flight — mechanistically: " . . . and to climb you shove the throttle all the way forward and pull back just a little on the stick. . . . " One might as well explain music by saying that the further over to the right you hit the piano the higher it will sound. The makings of a flight are not in the levers, wheels, and pedals but in the nervous system of the pilot: physical sensations, bits of textbook, deep-rooted instincts, burnt-child memories of trouble aloft, hangar talk.
- Wolfgang Langewiesche, 'A Flyer's World.'
Daily Video
Editor's Choice
Trivia
Soviet Scramble
1. HDBIEFS
2. LENAFRK
3. AXOFTB
4. NCEREF
5. CAKAJLBKC
6. DNRLEBI
7. FBREAKCI
8. BONIS
9. DGAEBR
10. CDDNAI
